Venatus
by TerrabreakerX
Summary: That's all it came down to, really. That's all it was. Just a game. But in a game this large, with so much to play for and so many lives and livelihoods at stake, one wrong move doesn't end in something so simple as Game Over - even if it isn't so apparent at the time. Sometimes the only way to win is not to play at all.
1. Prologue

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

* * *

_Date: Approximately Two Years Prior to Present Setting_

Time. The continuous progression of events in succession past to present to future. Supposedly irreversible.

_Tick. Tock._

Time. The embodiment of the human obsession with order. A construct for holding back the dark, chaotic madness that was the alternative.

_Tick. Tock._

Time. Realm of Dialga, its guardian, protector and ruler.

_Tick. Tock._

Time. Tool. Ally. Foe.

_Tick. Tock._

Time. _His _tool. _His _Ally. And, at times, but rarely, _his _foe.

_Tick. Tock._

* * *

_Tick. Tock. Chime. Chime. Chime._

He snapped out of his reverie as the ornate clock on his mantelpiece began to chime for the hour. Gears whirled and other intricate clockwork parts moved to display a small, wooden Pidove, which moved its mouth to cry in time with the chiming. Its efforts would have produced sound had the mechanism required for such a feat not degraded several years ago. He'd been meaning to fix it for nearly as long, but, somehow, had simply never found the time.

He slowly, gently pushed himself out of the plush chair he'd fallen into several hours ago, exhausted after days of being alert. It wasn't that his work had been strenuous, mind. Sleep rarely came easy to him, nor did he enjoy it. Sleep meant dreams. Or, more accurately, sleep meant nightmares. A recurring nightmare, of a world doomed without his existence, plagued him.

He simultaneously marvelled at and mocked such a cliché. He reviled such weakness and dismissed it as an inevitable, if unfortunate, part of his psyche. An existence like this, secluded and away from the rest of the world, had its drawbacks, for sure.

But it also had its advantages. And in those he found strength. The strength to continue his duty.

He ambled over to the window, past the fireplace that crackled with a fury diminished since he had begun to rest earlier, and stared for a time out into the outside world. Normally, the view would be obscured by an everpresent storm of snow, ice, hail and slush. Few Pokémon would even be capable of surviving here, yet alone thriving, and it was little surprise that none currently made their homes, as he did, in this part of the world. In all the time he had spent on this mountain, he had yet to see another being approach the cabin from the outside. As far as he was aware, and he was very aware of such things, he lived further north than anyone else did in the world.

He preferred it this way. It allowed him to work in peace.

But now, however, the situation was different. The blizzard had diminished to little more than a few snowflakes glittering down from the clouds above. The harsh winds that would regularly direct them had abated. The sun was shining through the clouds. He opened the window, shivering briefly at the sudden drop in temperature, until the warmth from the sun reached him and invigorated him, bathing him in its luminous glow, until once more they retreated behind the clouds, and the winds picked up in speed and intensity once again, to begin another extended blizzard. He closed the window and turned away.

It would be only half-false to say that moments like those were what he lived for.

His body ached as he moved again, and he took another moment – what loss was a few seconds in a day of thousands? – to recall his exhaustion. He truly was _old_, now – into his 80th year - and each time he noted that fact, he experienced worry, dread and grim acceptance all over again. _Time _and_ Time_ again.

He pondered his options briefly, considering the lure of sustenance or perhaps even of sleep, no matter the cost of the latter, but one more glance at the still ticking clock set his mind straight. He discarded those thoughts of weakness. Such necessary, such_ human_ concerns could wait until later. It was time to attend to his duty once again.

It was time to play the_ game_.

* * *

_Who_ was he?

Well, that was the question. He wasn't entirely sure it was worth dignifying with a response – and so chose not to regularly dwell on an answer to it – but, he had to admit, it was a very good question.

But if an answer, however simple, would be required for this very good question, he had several responses of note. Not that anyone would ever have the chance to ask. Perish the thought. Hypothetically, then...

He could answer with a physical description. Male, aging and decaying, almost completely bald. His unusual, outer clothes almost seemed to hang off him at times, not as though they did not seem to belong, but instead did not seem entirely necessary to mark him out. Uninspiring hazel eyes rounded off the attributes of a man who, by appearance alone, would be unremarkable in the extreme. But physical attributes can be monumentally misleading, as, in youthful folly, he had discovered long ago. A response solely of physical or material attributes would be an inadequate answer to such an important question. They would suggest a state of being decrepit that would not describe him at all.

He could answer with a name. Not his true name, mind, for the sheer number of titles and descriptions he had held, in jest or attempted seriousness, however briefly, bordered on the obscene. Names are more ephemeral than most realise; they can be changed, granted all too freely at birth, stolen and discarded again as quick as a flash. The stock people often place in a name as an indication of identity, he sometimes mused, approaches the foolish. If he _had _to be described by a title, he would offer only one; _Gamesmaster._ He delighted at the arrogance of such a choice, masking as it did his true influence and understanding under the assumption that he treated his actions as merely a game. It would make his enemies underestimate him by assuming that he would underestimate them. Not that his enemies, if they could even be called that, would ever even become aware of his existence in the first place.

If that would still be inadequate, he could finish with an attempt at describing his duty – his purpose – his _game_. This attempt would sicken him as much as it would probably provide the most acceptable answer to the question. His influence, his role in the grand scheme of things, he knew, amounted to far more than _anything _that could be described in a medium as fleeting as the spoken word. Language would not grant the proper gravitas that his efforts so richly deserved.

* * *

He reached the other side of his living room and opened the door, making his way to the grand hall of the building and shutting the door carefully behind him. He shook briefly from the draughtiness of the hall, once again trying, and failing, to remember why he had decided upon its construction as the room of his work when a smaller section of his abode would have probably sufficed. Unlike the smaller living room, the hall was large in height and width, but constructed from much the same materials and with much the same standard of decoration. Three doors led out of the hall, including the one he had entered, with one leading upstairs and the other leading to the kitchen space. The walls – for the most part – were similarly Spartan, and only three pieces of interior design were of particular design. Least striking was a fireplace that mirrored the positioning of the one in the living room, providing the same warmth that he so dearly cherished to the hall.

Second was the wide table which took up most of the hall, constructed of the finest wood he was able to have shipped from the Eterna and Viridian forests. He used it for two purposes of relevant importance; eating, and, more importantly, playing the _game_.

Third, and most obvious, was the magnificent stained glass window at the far end of the hall. It caught the eye as soon as one entered; even in darkness, what little light reflected off the moon seemed to gravitate to it, and its illumination in that rarity of full sunlight was a wondrous sight to behold. The mural it carried depicted a compilation some of the legends that made up the mythos of the regions of the world. _The Creation by Arceus_; _The Legend of the Guardian of the Seas, Lugia_; _The moving of the continents by Regigigas_, and many more. He hoped his actions behind the scenes might someday help carve his own legends amongst the few he might trust, given time. If not, he would be content to remain entirely unseen. The shadows only aided his work.

Out of all the time, cost and simply basic effort he had put into having his abode located so far from civilisation, the mural was the second most expensive "investment" in the room.

The most expensive was the ornate piece of equipment resting on the table. It resembled an enlarged gameboard.

* * *

Indeed, from afar it was hardly different from a standard board, with tiles and gamepieces, but appearances can truly be deceiving. For one striking notion about his board, albeit not perhaps entirely unusual, was that each piece was a different colour. All of the colours of the rainbow were strewn across the board, joined by various shades and hues of blues, reds, yellows, greens, pinks and so many more. At present counting, he had found space for over one hundred small chunks of plastic to fill the space, and suspected that the number would only continue to grow until he died. Sometimes, he wondered if he would ever run out of space.

The tiles, too, were not actually laid out in an ordered pattern, as in games played on a chequered board. They formed grid squares for a map, or rather _the _map of the world in as great as detail as could be displayed. Holographic projectors built into the wood could display more information in the air above the board about whichever place he happened to be analysing, fed on the most recent data by computer link to the civilised world.

Furthermore, to see the pieces as mere plastic also misunderstood their complexity. On a technical level, each contained a sophisticated microchip which allowed them to interface with the board that they moved over. Data streamed constantly from these pieces and, again, the actual living world, to the holographic display, enhancing the array of knowledge that he could call upon.

But the pieces were more than just that.

Each was assigned to something or someone in the actual world. Sometimes an organisation as a whole. Sometimes, when relevant, a single person. The former outnumbered the latter, but both could be found in respectable numbers on the board. Some could be called "heroes". Some could be called "villains". Some were neither. Some were human. Some were Pokémon.

Here, this electric blue one represented Team Plasma of Unova. He was proudest of the depth of his manoeuvres into the court of Ghetsis, their effective leader. Team Plasma's role would come to fruition soon.

There, those opposing aquamarine and carmine pieces represented Teams Magma and Aqua of Hoenn. Defeated, thwarted, diminished in terms of usefulness, perhaps even redeemed. But even the most hapless forces could, and would, be put to use somewhere. Somehow.

Some pieces wore other colours to symbolise their common importance by the titles and responsibilities they shared. The pieces representing the Champions of the regions each bore a gold crown. Even they, though, were mere pawns in this game. All could be expendable if necessity required it.

Some were simply unclassifiable, and it was those that he treasured the most.

The list could go on, and on, and on. The scope of his control was, he would happily admit to no-one, breathtaking. His manipulations were so subtle as to cause his pawns to be entirely unaware of them – unless, of course, he wanted one pawn to blame another for such a gambit. An offhand recommendation to an ambitious secretary to be relayed to their superiors here, a careful bribe through a chain of corrupt commissioners there, even inspiring an investigation into such actions of corruption for an ironic twist. None of these would be beyond the scope of his power at this table, on this board, and truly only scratched the surface of what he could do.

At this table, on this board, he controlled the world.

And yet no-one could, or perhaps would, ever know it.

* * *

He slid down into the chair at the end of the table, feeling the creak of years of existence in his bones as he did so. A wave of his hands brought the computer back to life, as he had left it from his last session. He surveyed the section of the board he had been working on previously, centred primarily around the region of Unova – of its Champion and of Team Plasma. Within two years' time, his plan for the area would have reached its zenith, and Plasma would control the region.

Two years remaining for this part of the plan represented the very end of such an operation. Time was on his side in that respect, as it very often was. The only true exception to this was in terms of his own existence. He was perfectly healthy, and lived an excellent with his mind intact, but doubted he would live more than another twenty years, at best. In that respect, time was _not _on his side.

Of course, Plasma could, alternatively, be defeated and forced to retreat and lie low. Manipulating the Unovan Champion was a tricky endeavour, more so than any other Champion, for suspicion was part of their nature, and had caused the swift diversion of some of his action in the past. If a spanner could be thrown in the works, it would likely be through their efforts. Or maybe even some unknown crusading hero would emerge from the woodwork to save the day. Rats scurrying to defend their homes from forces that they do not understand.

But that was the true glory, the true wonder of his actions. Not the scale of his manipulations. Not what he intended to achieve.

No. It was the simple fact that however the game played out, however much each individual piece acted, "knowingly" or not, against his control, he could never lose.

All outcomes lead to success, because he had arranged them as such, over so many long years, after so much effort.

He couldn't lose, because he had already won.

He smiled as he took hold of a piece once more, as he would continue to do so for as long as he would still live.

_It was, ultimately, all just a matter of time._

* * *

"The things I once imagined would be my greatest achievements were only the first steps toward a future I can only begin to fathom."  
—Jace Beleren


	2. Prologue 2

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

* * *

_Date: One Year Prior to the Present Setting_

_Out of all of my duties as Sinnoh League Champion_, Cynthia thought, _this has to be the most tedious_.

She loved her work. The people she met, the places she saw, the bonds between Pokémon and trainer that she witnessed. But _this _was not one of the highlights of the job.

"This" happened to be the closing ceremony of the Lily of the Valley Conference. The annually held, extremely long and extravagant closing ceremony of the Lily of the Valley Conference.

Hell, she enjoyed the Conference itself. One of her favourite duties as Champion was looking after the welfare of Pokémon, and witnessing the bonds between trainers and their Pokémon stirred her heart, particularly if she had met them prior to the Conference itself. The battle between Paul and Ash had nearly moved her to tears, so far was she thrilled by the intensity the two trainers had shown in their conflict, and how secure she felt in the knowledge of the bond they now surely shared, closer as friends even as their rivalry remained. She also respected the resolve, fortitude and strength of the winner of the Conference, Tobias, for his mastery of battling style and the deep bond he evidently shared with his Darkrai and Latios for them to conduct their efforts with such skill and control.

What she did _not _respect, on the other hand, was the decision of the organisers to make the opening ceremony nearly an hour and a half long. Having herself, the judge and, at various times each of the Top Eight, culminating in the winner in front of a crowd that somehow found it possible, bearable, even exciting, to scream for much of that time. And be expected to smile unabashedly throughout the ordeal. _No respect at all._

She remembered complaining about it, once, at a meeting with the organisers of the Sinnoh League. They had assured her that such a length was necessary for the Top Eight trainers to be appropriately recognised for their achievements, and had included a number of long words and phrases such as "responsibility", "necessary" and "why we pay you a bonus" enough times for Cynthia to back off and feel vaguely guilty about even suggesting it. And then, once far enough away from the board, angry at herself for being handled so easily.

What made the current Conference ceremony even more farcical however was the absence of two of the Top Eight. Cynthia had hardly expected Paul to stay put for the ceremony considering that he hadn't won; she doubted that he would have stayed even if he had only lost in the Final, given the two hour gap between the Final and the ceremony, the time required for the swift engraving of the trophy. From their meeting before, she had been able to tell that it wasn't his way to wait around for things to happen. There was always something else to do. _And frankly,_ she thought, _he probably has the right idea given this inanity..._

The other trainer in the Top Eight not present was even more scandalous; never before at a Lily of the Valley Conference had the Runner Up not been present for the closing ceremony, and his absence was not through choice but enforced by security.

After his loss he had said a few choice words to Tobias regarding his use of Legendary Pokémon in a league tournament, escalating in an argument that led to the crowd booing him for his lack of dignity in the face of defeat. His continued, incessant complaining throughout the two hour period led to the judge, Mr. Goodshow, simply banning him from the stadium and threatening to rescind his trainer license unless he stayed away. _The press'll love that tomorrow morning._

Tobias, at least, seemed to be enjoying the ceremony as a fitting tribute to his hard-earned victory. He hardly spoke and seemed modest enough, either that or masked his feelings well enough to effect the same. She supposed that she shouldn't grumble about the ceremony _too_ much, given that the purpose of the ceremony _was_ to celebrate the efforts of such hard-working trainers. Then again, she'd really only aired her grievances weakly to her "superiors"; most of her annoyance had simply been worked over in her head. _Wonder what Freud would say about this..._

The only thing that had really inspired her about the ceremony was Ash's role. The trainer had bounded up to the platform with what seemed to be barely-contained excitement to receive his medal for the Top Four, but still managed to maintain his dignity when accepting it. If Paul had at first reminded Cynthia of herself in her earliest days as a trainer, with a win-at-all-costs attitude, then Ash brought back memories of her changed attitude during her latter studies, shortly before she embarked upon the challenge to be the Champion of Sinnoh. She noted how his eyes had scanned the crowd for his friends, sparkling intently as he caught sight of Brock and Dawn cheering from the stands, and how he had hugged his Pikachu tighter as he walked off the stage, medal in hand.

Returning to the present and being drawn out of her recollection by the Mr. Goodshow's closing statements, Cynthia replicated Ash's scanning of the crowd one last time before preparing to focus on the ceremony's zenith.

She caught sight of a familiar figure in the upper stands arrayed in front of her. A tall figure with short brown hair, his face partially obscured by the cap he was wearing, but unmistakable to one who knew him so well.

The figure saluted to her, his action almost lost amidst the cheering crowd and carefully picked his way up to the exit of the stands and out of sight. She could tell where he was heading, though.

The champion only had a moment to compose herself as the fireworks went off, before she handed the trophy to Tobias and he lifted it high, to thunderous applause from the audience. She joined in, her mind on other things. Primarily the identity of the one she had spotted and what his presence here could mean. She couldn't afford to smile wider at the present, not with the crowd and more specifically the press, watching so intently. Cynthia settled on containing her growing excitement, and fighting the urge to sprint off the stage as soon as she was able. She was only half successful.

* * *

The Lily of the Valley stadium held the reputation, rightfully deserved, as the most impressive, state of the art, largest and most expensive stadium in the Sinnoh region. In the wider world, only the stadia of the other regional conferences and leagues could hope to match it for these qualities, though many natives of Sinnoh would boast that the _Lily_ was the grandest of them all.

Unfortunately, being of such a vast scale meant that it was also notoriously difficult to navigate quickly, a problem compounded by the curious decision of the architect to situate the entrance hall as far away from the inner ground as structurally possible, by way of numerous passageways and corridors running the length of the stadium.

Hoenn Elite Four member Phoebe once took a wrong turn during a visit and accompanying tour of the grounds and became lost for nearly forty-five minutes, eventually turning up, completely bemused, in a maintenance tunnel running under the field.

Simply put, the Lily stadium was a maze.

A maze that was severely impeding Cynthia's progress in reaching the entrance hall. Particularly as she was trying to_ avoid_ being mobbed by over-eager fans.

Ten minutes after the end of the ceremony she finally reached the door to the reception area, and peered through to confirm that he was actually there.

He wasn't hard to spot. Anyone else might not have recognised him with the cap shielding his face from the view of the crowd, but not her. Cynthia could have spotted _this_ trainer from a mile away.

Likewise, he seemed to be scanning the crowd, carefully but intently. Not that such behaviour would seem out of the ordinary. The end of the awards presentation meant that the majority of trainers and fans were being funnelled, one way or another, into the entrance hall, and it was easy to lose sight of friends temporarily in the crush of bodies.

And then he noticed her looking through the window at the top of the door, and moved casually but swiftly to meet her. She stepped back as he opened the door, closing it curiously swiftly behind him.

"Cyn." His accent would be considered noticeable and unusual for most people living in Sinnoh, but, again, Cynthia was not like _most_ people. He removed the cap to reveal that shock of brown hair, dull blue eyes and a grinning face.

"Cam." Cynthia matched the greeting and kept her manner level, as hard as it was to accomplish the latter feat.

* * *

_Twenty Years earlier..._

"_I'm going to be a Pokémon master!" seven year-old Cynthia cried as she began to climb the tall tree. Her father had turned it into a grand treehouse just a year before, declaring it to be as fine as any of the Secret Bases he had sculpted during his work in Hoenn before his retirement. "Like no-one ever was!"_

"_Not if__** I **__get there first!" Cameron, her friend of the same age, yelled as he scaled the other side of the trunk. He was still unused to such practical fun, but was learning fast. Cynthia still won the race, though._

_The two had been friends since the start of school that year, and many a weekend had now been dedicated to reciprocal visits to each other's houses, normally involving a great deal of fun in the gardens. And a lot of muddy clothes for their parents to clean afterwards._

"_If you wanna get there first you'll have to do a lot more training than me!" Cynthia snorted as she watched Cameron ascending the last branches of the tree up to the steps leading into the treehouse._

"_Why?" he huffed, exhausted. "You don't even have your first Pokémon yet!"_

"_Neither do you, dummy!"_

"_Well, no duh." Cameron laid down on the floor and tried to control his breathing. "But that means we both still have the same chance as being a Pokemon master as each other!"_

"_No fair! I want to be one first!" Cynthia pouted._

"_No fair? That doesn't make any sense!" He retorted. Cynthia turned away, tossing back her blonde hair._

"_You don't make any sense!"_

_And so they descended once more into a well-rehearsed, back-and-forth argument, which only ended when Cynthia's mother called them both in for tea, as the first shades of night began to advance on the Sinnoh sky, and the sun began to fade behind the clouds._

"_Cyn?" He asked. They had returned outside later, to watch the sunset whilst sitting on the branches of the tree, sipping sweet fruit juices as the darkness rolled in._

"_Mhm?"_

"_You don't think we'll... ever not be friends, do you?"_

"_What?" she stared at him, confused. "Whaddya mean?"_

"_My dad was talking a few days ago about how he doesn't see some of his old friends from school very often anymore." Cameron went on. "What if that happens to us?"_

"_It won't, dummy!"_

"_How d'ya know for sure, though? You can't see the future, or you'd be rich!" Precognition was their most-agreed upon, most wished-for superpower that they'd want from the comics if they could have just one. They would sometimes try to list its amazing utility, but eventually just give up after countless repetitions. That would normally be about the time that Cynthia would criticise Cameron for his lack of imagination._

"_I just know, okay! Look..." Cynthia tried to conjure as much of a comforting tone as she could. And only half succeeded. "We'll always stay in touch. I promise." She smiled in a further attempt to be reassuring._

_Cameron gazed over at her, and smiled as well._

"_I promise, too..."_

* * *

"Can't talk here, press could be listening." Cameron gestured down the corridor, still grinning wide, to a locker room door. "In there".

Cynthia found herself nodding. Her anticipation was continuing to build. _At last... My vengeance is so close at hand..._

He opened the door for her and pulled out two Poké Balls as she walked past.

"Swampert, Metagross, rock out!" The Mud Fish and Iron Leg Pokemon filled the hall as they left the balls. Swampert stretched and roared happily at the sight of Cynthia, who waved back at it as she entered the locker room. Metagross greeted its trainer with what can only be described as quiet dignity.

"Guys, I need you to guard this door. No-one gets in, 'specially not the media." Swampert smashed a three-fingered fist into the three-fingered palm of his other hand at the mention of his favourite targets. Far too many reporters had been on the receiving end of an Earthquake from the all too willing amphibian. Metagross dipped its head – body? – in acknowledgement. Both took up positions in front of the door as their trainer closed it.

Cynthia sat down on a bench and opened her mouth to speak, but Cameron waved his hand for another moment of silence as a blue, translucent sphere with legs and feelers, descended from the ceiling, turning to reveal a face with small eyes and what appeared to be a beard. Or a moustache. Hard to tell, really, given, the lack of an obvious mouth.

"I had Jellicent here check the room for bugs earlier. Find anything, mate?"

"Jelli..." The water-ghost type shook its head. Which, again, essentially meant shaking its body.

"All right, cheers." Cameron shrugged and returned it to a third Poké Ball.

"Paranoid as ever, dummy." Cynthia smirked, but the tension remained within her, begging to be released. "Or you've got _really _important news this time."

"Both. As always." He sat down and stared at her. He still hadn't stopped grinning. "Okay, then..." _Ah, to hell with it, I've waited long enough. Now's a good as time as any._

"No... No." Cynthia rose up from the bench, her face flushing red with rage. Adrenaline flooded her body at the excitement, at the conclusion of a long year's wait... "It's _not_ "okay". The way our last little get-together went was _not _"okay"."

"Cyn, I..." He was still grinning.

"Shut up!" She raised her arm, pointing accusatorily at him. "I've waited long enough for this moment!"

He barely had time to stand up from the bench before she tackled him to the floor.

* * *

_Approximately One Year earlier..._

"_And so that was how my Metagross defeated Arceus." Cameron bragged sarcastically from the villa's kitchen as he took the popcorn out of the microwave. Metagross perked up briefly at the mention of its name, but shook its head upon hearing Cynthia's full sentence and returned to arm-wrestling Cynthia's Garchomp. "Pretty standard day, really."_

"_Sure." Cynthia called, sitting on the sofa in front of the television. "And I suppose that you were then crowned King of Unova and granted your pick of the finest Pokémon and delicacies of the land, am I right?"_

"_No." He disdained. "This is the real world."_

"_Oh, sorry. Hard to tell sometimes when you're involved."_

_Having villas all across the known regions meant a great deal of choice when it came down to summer vacations and simple getaways. But Undella Town seemed to trump all the others, every year, with its shining sun, soft sand and sparkling sea._

_Not to mention sharing fashion tips with Elesa. And sometimes Skyla. But mostly just Elesa._

_And discussing myths and legends with Lenora over a delicious Triple Cone chocolate mint strawberry with cookies and cream. Or a sandwich. Or..._

_And catching up with Cam._

_Plus trying to actually figure out just __**who**__ Roxie is._

_She wouldn't give Cam the satisfaction by saying it out loud, but Unova __**was**__ a great region._

"_What's on?" Cameron joined her on the sofa, cradling two tubs of popcorn. He handed one to Cynthia and grabbed a cushion._

"_Ever Grande Conference finals. Hoenn's putting on a pretty good show this year." As if to punctuate Cynthia's observation, the camera panned across to display the breathtaking fireworks display covering the airspace of much of the stadium. The fireworks banked round before forming patterns resembling Pokémon, including an Aggron and a Metagross._

"_Huh, Steven'll love that." She grinned._

"_Unless, y'know, he arranged it himself." He replied with a wry smile._

"_Isn't that more your style, Cam?"_

"_Ha. Ha." _

_Cynthia threw a kernel into the air and leaned back to catch it in her mouth. _

"_The popcorn's pretty good."_

"_Oh, by the way, I put hot sauce in yours. Enjoy." Cameron deadpanned. Cynthia choked._

"_Wh-wh-what?" She spluttered, spilling the contents of the bowl of popcorn on the floor and spitting out a particularly large chunk of the treat. _

"_Not really. I just wanted to see your face when I said that."_

"_Come on, Cam, what was the point?" She growled indignantly._

"_Honestly?" He smirked. "So I could put you off guard and do... __**This**__."Quick as a flash, he leapt off the sofa and pulled her to the floor. Pinning her arms to the floor, he tickled her sides. Breathless, she could only giggle until he stopped after less than a minute, standing up victoriously. "I win this year! Just for once, I win!"_

_The TV continued to show the finals of the Ever Grande Conference._

_Cynthia's Garchomp shook its head at the antics of its trainer and her friend._

_Cameron's Metagross rolled its eyes._

_Cynthia grumbled weakly on the floor._

* * *

"Payback time, fool!" She had him this time, pinned beneath her weight and tickled to breaking point. His laughter carried through the door to the corridor, detected by Swampert, who looked vaguely concerned, and Metagross, who sighed knowingly and placated the former with a look that practically screamed _Don't ask_.

"All right, all right, you win!" Cameron cried. Cynthia roared in success and then fell off him, giggling. The two rolled around on the floor for a time, consumed by the hilarity of the situation. "Seriously... That. Is the worst competition. We ever made up."

"Only because I always win in the end." She stuck her tongue out at him to complete her victory.

"Can we get to business, now?" He put something of a pleading note into his tone. Not that it would _ever_ work on her. She pouted at him for a long moment.

"Fiiiine. Just because you asked soooo nicely." Cynthia snarked, and then winked at him as he rubbed his brow as if exhausted. "So, what brings the esteemed Champion of Unova to Sinnoh?"

His expression seemed to darken as she mentioned his title. It was a look so momentary that most would've missed it. But not her. She looked at him curiously, her face now strained with a certain concern.

"Uh... Cam... You haven't... lost, have you?" She asked, as gently as she could. He shook his head.

"No. I'm still the Unova Champion. But not for long, and my news is directly related to that situation." They both sat down again. All humour had vanished from the atmosphere of the room, replaced by foreboding and concern.

"The other Champions wanted me to deliver this information in person, and to be so paranoid about its secrecy, because of the developing unrest in our regions." He started. "Criminal organisations across Unova, Kanto and Johto, and Hoenn, have either sprung up over the past five years or increased in activity exponentially in that time period. Team Rocket is the most "infamous" of these."

"Yes, I know of them, they had a trio of operatives in Sinnoh who were continuously attempting to steal Pokemon, particularly the Pikachu of a young trainer named Ash Ketchum."

"Ash Ketchum? Lance had a lot of good things to say about Ash Ketchum and his friends." Cameron smiled. "They apparently worked together in Johto and Hoenn, stopping the actions of Team Aqua and Team Magma in the latter instance."

This revelation only served to swell the respect that Cynthia already had for Ash and his company.

"I heard about that, but that only intrigues me about the relevance of the "unrest" you mentioned. My own region faced a grave threat from Team Galactic, but there were defeated with the aid of the Legendary Guardians, and Ash and his friends. Galactic's leader, Cyrus, may well be lost in another dimension for all we know. As for Aqua and Magma; they were defeated last year, and I was under the impression – put forward by Steven – that they were working in a kinder environmental capacity at this point. Was he wrong?" she queried.

"Steven still believes that they are on the level." He answered. "But, as you well know, a champion hears much in the way of rumour and hearsay. Steven worries for the safety of his region due to whispers of a threat growing in the north." Cameron paused. "He has asked for aid in rooting out the possibility of corruption, and, given how far Team Rocket has spread in Lance's territory, and the unknown nature of such a possible threat, we agreed unanimously that I would accompany him." He paused again. "And the two of us have both tendered our resignations to our respective leagues."

If Cynthia had been standing at that point, she would have had to sit down. Rocked by the information, she placed a hand to her forehead.

"But... Steven's been champion for so long... He loves the work... _You _love the work." Cynthia groaned. "Why resign, even for this? Champions can visit other regions for leisure or for work – as I so often visit Unova, and as Lance did when he travelled to Hoenn to battle Aqua and Magma! Why resign, Cam?" She cried.

"The journey that Steven and I are about to undertake could take time, Cyn. Perhaps a year, or longer. It will almost certainly be undercover - as Lance was, aye –" he added, to forestall her inevitable objection. "But he did not hide in the shadows for so long. Hoenn and Unova deserve more of their champions, even if what we will do may be vital to their continued safety and prosperity. We must resign, Cyn. We need to disappear for a while." Despite the weight of finality in his statement, Cynthia could tell he was holding back.

"There's more... Isn't there?" She asked, tentatively. Cameron hesitated, then nodded.

"Aye. Hoenn is not the only region to suffer the enemy within. I hear murmurs... I see patterns of crime and threatening behaviour in reports... They increasingly point to the existence of another criminal organisation existing in Unova, with a goal I have yet to uncover, if they even exist at all. They might well be linked to the potential threat from the north in Hoenn – I have to be sure." He stopped, and sighed. "That's all."

"Wait." Cynthia shot up. "Why can't I come with you? Sinnoh is more stable than it has ever been, with Galactic's defeat. And why didn't you consult me before choosing who would go with Steven? Did you think I would try to stop you?" She grumbled indignantly. Cameron chuckled.

"We were in a hurry, and mostly agreed after the first meeting. Besides, Lance intends to play the crusading hero type with increased action against Team Rocket. It'll be beneficial if one of the champions does what they always have – roam and protect the region." Cynthia could see the logic in this decision, even if it aggrieved her to do nothing more than she already did.

To act normally, when others were fighting behind the scenes.

"But," she started, and then realised that there was nothing more she could think of, no other suggestions for ways to save the day. Only one question remained to be answered, and it wasn't a happy one. She remained silent for a time, glancing out the window. The sun was burning bright outside, and the midday temperature evident in the way that people were removing their jackets and layers made Cynthia suddenly thankful for the existence of central air-conditioning, and that she had insisted upon its installation into the stadium on its renovation three years ago.

"Who's... uh... replacing you then? And Steven?" She finally found the words to bring the issue up.

"Alder's coming back to take over from me. He's obviously got the experience, and practically jumped at the chance to do the whole "travelling champion" role again". Cameron smiled. "As for Steven, he's been priming Wallace for the role for years."

"Good choices." Cynthia commented, accepted the situation as it had to be. "Unova and Hoenn are in good hands." Cameron stood up and joined her at the window.

"They are." He confirmed. "Don't worry about them, or us. We'll be fine."

Cynthia turned and hugged him, tight around the waist. He returned it, and after thirty seconds or so, she released him.

"Fine, I accept what you have to do is necessary." She sighed, then growled "You'd better come back in one piece, though. We still have a battle to finish from last time."

"Okay." Cameron replied. "I mean, what could go wrong, right?" Cynthia smacked him lightly on the back of the head at these words, earning a yelp from the Unovan champion.

"Don't say that, dummy!" She groaned. "Now you've gone and jinxed it."

Cameron shook his head and led the way out. He recalled Metagross and Swampert, and with a final goodbye, the two champions – the two friends – parted ways once more. It would be another year before they would meet again.

* * *

_The pyromancer summoned up her mightiest onslaught of fire and rage. Jace feigned interest._

_- Counterspell (Jace vs. Chandra)_


	3. News

A couple of administrative things:

First;** heavy spoilers **will be present in this chapter and several subsequent ones for very recent and indeed upcoming Black and White season two episodes that have so far only aired (or will air) in Japan. You have been warned.

Second; unfortunate obligatory disclaimer – I don't own Pokémon.

Third; update schedule. (Yes, here we go...) I intend to attempt to guarantee a regular update every Thursday. However, depending on how often I actually finish a chapter, updates may be more regular, but I will not upload a chapter on any day other than Thursday unless I have a buffer of at least one chapter to upload on the next Thursday – primarily so that I don't fall behind on updating as I have in previous stories (please, in the name of the Emperor, _do not _look at my older stories. Please don't.)

Of course, knowing me, I'll probably still fall behind. That's just what I hope to achieve.

* * *

_Present Day_

One thing Ash Ketchum had recently been reminded of since the beginning of Dawn's Unova visit was how long she could spend in the bathroom if left uninterrupted. He'd also forgotten how irritating it could be when she didn't respond to repeated attempts to persuade her to leave.

He suspected that the difficulty in doing so would only be increased by the size and quality of the bathrooms that Cynthia's villa possessed. When roused at last, Dawn would inevitably complain that he had no good reason to disturb her anyway. But they would always move on from those arguments.

Until the next time, anyway.

"Dawn! You've been in there half an hour! Come on, we've gotta get going!" The raven haired trainer only had one volume setting when in a hurry, and that setting was_ loud_.

"Pika pi..." Pikachu was perched on its trainers' shoulder, shaking its head at his impatience. Piplup was asleep on the floor next to the door, waiting for Dawn.

But they _were_ in a hurry, and the reasoning _was_ important.

Tomorrow was the registration day of the Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup, which began the day after. The journey to the hosting Lacunosa Town would take very little time at all in Cynthia's truck, but Ash didn't want to take any chances – given the frequency of unfortunate events occurring that seemed to be a fact of life for his group of friends.

And they simply couldn't afford to miss the tournament. Another chance to battle Alder - champion of the Unova league – properly, this time. Another challenge to face and overcome with the strength and skills of his Pokemon.

Another step towards being a Pokémon Master.

He didn't give it too much thought anymore – the old dream was always there, in the background, out of sight and often out of mind, but never far enough that he would forget it.

Sometimes, most often after a particularly painful loss, Ash would stop and question his original dream. But even if it was foolhardy, or simply downright impossible, he had long ago decided to continue journeying with his friends, meeting new people and Pokémon, and taking each day as it came.

It was, he liked to think, what a Pokémon Master should do.

"Hurry up!" But all of this would be irrelevant unless Dawn would vacate the damned bathroom...

"Ash, we're not leaving for another two hours yet, anyway." Cilan pointed out. He'd been able to tell that this was an old ritual for the two of them, and had focused on preventing Ash from becoming too annoyed whenever it occurred.

At the moment, his tone was calm but his face was strained, betraying a certain desperation that was somehow familiar to Ash, but he was unable to place it.

"He'd know that if he'd listened to Cynthia yesterday at dinner instead of just stuffing his face." Dawn's voice came through the door, muffled slightly by the obstruction.

"Iris never takes as long as you do." Ash grumbled under his breath, as Dawn finally emerged... and Cilan leaped inside with a cry of relief, slamming the door shut behind him. Dawn shook her head as Ash brought his palm to his face.

"Come on and sit down, Ash, if you just wait around for the time to pass it'll feel like forever." She picked up Piplup and motioned for Ash to follow her into Cynthia's living room, and he did so.

He'd been surprised at the size of the villa at first sight of it, considering the fact that he had assumed that Cynthia would live alone, particularly when on holiday. As the situation was, with Ash and Cilan sharing one room and Dawn and Iris sharing another, there had been no complaints of crowdedness or claustrophobia. Indeed, compared to a Pokémon center or, say, the middle of the woods, it had been a very luxurious week.

Iris had been for a run, and waved and smiled at Ash and Dawn as they entered the room, cradling a hot cup of coffee in one hand and Axew in the other.

"Morning. Where's Cynthia?" asked Ash. Before Iris could reply, Jeremy, Cynthia's butler – or so Ash assumed – emerged from the conjoining kitchen. Ash had been impressed and somewhat disconcerted by Jeremy's ninja-like ability to appear swiftly and silently when needed and depart much the same way.

"Lady Cynthia had an errand to run in Undella Town. She left a message to say that she would return within the hour." He said, disappearing into the kitchen again. The trio caught a glimpse of a plate and a scrubbing cloth as he walked away.

"Fair enough. So, Dawn, have you decided what you're going to do after the tournament's over?" Ash asked.

"Not really." Dawn frowned. "I'd like to stay out here for a bit, but I think my mom's getting a bit worried since I came here straight from Johto. I'm not sure what I'll do after that."

"It'd be cool if you could stay. Shame they don't have contests in Unova."

"Yeah..." Dawn was thankful that Ash turned away to address Iris just in time to miss her blushing profusely at his words. She'd barely noticed it when travelling with him through Sinnoh, but it really had become apparent that Ash could sometimes say the sweetest things and yet seemed to do so completely by accident, such was his obliviousness.

"Hey, Iris, how's Dragonite doing?" Iris frowned at Ash's question, reaching down to fish out a Poké Ball from her bag.

"I don't really know." She sighed, turning the ball over in her hands. "I didn't expect him to listen to me straight away, but I'm not sure how to get through to him. He's so... aggressive, distant..."

"When my Swinub evolved into Piloswine, he stopped showing me any respect for a long time." Dawn offered sympathetically. "It took a while to build up the bond between us again."

"Yeah, I had the same problem when my Excadrill lost a battle for the first time." Iris replied. "But even then, I knew him from before he evolved; I had some idea how to reach out to him even if it took so long to break his depression. I've never caught a Pokémon at such a powerful level before." She admitted finally. "I don't really know what to do."

"Maybe you could ask Cynthia? She's got so many strong Pokemon, I'll bet she'll be able to help somehow." Ash suggested.

"That's a great idea!" Iris perked up considerably. "Just like she did with Axew!" As if on cue, Axew emerged from her mess of hair and yawned loudly.

* * *

An hour later, lunch turned out to be an excellent opportunity for Iris to ask Cynthia.

"I'd be happy to help how I can, Iris!" smiled Cynthia as she shovelled a remarkably sized portion of vegetable pie into her mouth.

One thing that the group had discovered during the time that they had spent at Cynthia's villa was that the champion ate just about as voraciously as Ash did, which was something of an impressive achievement considering Ash's well-noted skill for consuming large amounts of food relatively quickly. Cilan later hypothesised to Dawn and Iris, drawing on the evidence that he had previously witnessed of Alder's table manners – or lack thereof – that champions, or those who aspired to such a role, required such competence in dining because of the stresses and strains of their high-flying, constantly moving lifestyle. Dawn noted sarcastically that it hadn't helped Ash win the Sinnoh League.

"That's great!" Iris' face lit up in excitement at the possibility of spending more time with her idol.

"We can spend some time with it in the downtime during the World Tournament." Cynthia continued, turning her gaze to her own dragon-type Pokémon. "I'm sure Garchomp would be happy to keep it company too."

Another thing that had taken some getting used to at the villa was the fact that Cynthia's Garchomp spent almost all of its time outside its Poké Ball when inside or outside on the grounds, often finding some place to lie in the sun peacefully, or sometimes even curling itself up as much as was biologically possible for it to do – almost like a regular domestic Meowth or Persian – and sleep. Iris had, at one point, tripped over the Mach Pokemon on her way to the bathroom whilst half asleep at about two in the morning. The resulting draconic rampage had required the intervention of Meloetta to aid in calming the annoyed battle. Garchomp, it transpired, was _not _a morning dragon.

The encounter hadn't managed to stifle Iris' enthusiasm for dragon-type Pokémon, however, and certainly not for Garchomp.

"How often does the tournament take place?" Cilan asked, curious. Though they had known about it for several days, Ash's group knew little about what it actually entailed other than that Cynthia would be battling in an exhibition match, and that the winner of the tournament would be entitled to battle Alder.

"Once a year, and it rotates across all of Unova, because there are Junior Cup tournaments for each of the different region. They're meant to be a reflection of the actual World Tournament held between the strongest trainers in the all of regions every two years."

"Huh, I've never heard of that before." Ash shrugged. "Guess it's just another step on the road to becoming a Pokémon master, right Pikachu!"

"Pika!"

_Another step... Always something more to do..._

"Sounds like a great place to witness some intense battle flavour!" commented Cilan, and earning a sigh from Iris and Dawn.

"Excuse me, M'lady?" Jeremy had reappeared, having departed after serving lunch earlier, addressing Cynthia. "A visitor is requesting your presence at the entrance. He wishes to speak with you alone, and says that it is urgent."

Cynthia rose, having finished her food seconds before.

"That's unusual, but thank you, Jeremy. I'll see him now." She glanced at Ash and the others as she walked out. "Finish up, this shouldn't take long. Then we can get ready to leave for the World Tournament."

"All right!" Ash cried. He'd also finished much sooner than Cilan, Dawn or Iris, who were barely halfway.

None of them had the faintest notion of how, in the next couple of hours, their journey would be diverted so drastically.

* * *

Cynthia found it unusual at the time, as she walked to the front door, that the identity of her visitor had not been announced. Jeremy knew most of the people who frequented the villa and would have obviously informed Cynthia if such a person was the guest. If he did not, they would normally at least give their names before stating a vague request shrouded in mystery.

In hindsight though, she probably should have guessed a little earlier.

"Cameron?" She stopped still and practically gaped at the sight of the former Unova champion standing in her villa once again. He gave her a weak smile.

"Hiya, Cyn. Been a while, hasn't it?"

"You're... back." She managed, and then actually looked at him properly. "You... don't look too good..."

"Thanks. Can't say the same about you, though." He eyed her blue summer dress. "Suits you better than black, I think."

But _he _did_ not _look well. Dark shadows ran under his eyes, even if they did appear to be receding somewhat, as if he had just caught up on a few hours of sleep. He favoured his right leg over his left, walking stiffly and wincing on alternate steps as he moved closer.

"What happened?" She asked, concern for his condition warring with annoyance at his temerity to pop up out of the blue unannounced. _Again._

"I've got news to deliver. Important news." He replied, ignoring the question.

"Again?" Cynthia said, a little more testily than she had intended. He smiled again, but there was a hollowness to it that spoke of a desire for brevity and the absence of the normal banter, so she spoke no more about her annoyance. Instead, she glanced back the way she had come through the villa. "I've got friends staying here... Ash Ketchum and three of his group. We were about to head off for the World Tournament Junior Cup; they're expecting me back any moment."

"Then this concerns them as well, and I'll speak to them about it too, if that's okay."

Cynthia had no problem with this, but it only served to pique her interest.

"Have you, uh... Turned a TV on in the past hour, Cyn?" He asked.

"Uh... No. Why?" She replied, wrong-footed. Cameron suppressed a grimace.

"Then this'll come as quite a shock."

"Then can you tell me first, Cam? I don't want to be _too _badly blindsided by some huge revelation."

"In short..."

And so he told her.

* * *

Five minutes later, Cynthia strode back into the living room, somewhat dazed, and headed straight for the kitchen area. Or, more specifically, the bar.

"Uh, Cynthia, is everything okay?" Ash asked as she passed him. He thought he overheard the words "need" and "drink" murmured. "You were gone a while." The others also looked to her with concern.

"She's just had some rather bad news." Cameron said, having finally caught up. Cynthia had walked far faster than he could manage at the present time back through the villa.

"Who're you?" Ash asked, confused by this new presence. Iris and Dawn seemed equally flummoxed. The Pokémon took note of their trainers' attitudes and eyed the newcomer warily. Out of the Pokémon assembled, only Garchomp gave a roar and an waved an arm in greeting. Cilan, however, regarded him thoughtfully.

"I've seen you somewhere before... A picture of you, I guess." He said, before Cameron could answer Ash. "Wait..." His face lit up suddenly in excitement. "I remember now! You're Cameron, the former Unova champion!"

At this, Iris gave a squeal of excitement, albeit quieter than she had emitted upon meeting Cynthia beforehand.

"Oh, of course!" She exclaimed. "I remember Drayden mentioning you once back at the Village of Dragons."

"Nice to meet you, but I thought that Alder's been champion for years." Ash said, recalling their prior meeting and Trip's excitedness.

"He was my predecessor and successor." Cameron explained. "He returned to the Pokémon League after I stepped down last year."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Cameron." Ash replied. He was still wary at Cynthia's sudden behaviour, and the others were too. Meeting a former champion might have had them more excited had the champion that they counted as a friend not been acting so strangely.

"It's nice to meet you too at last, Ash."

The Sinnoh champion finally made her way back out of the bar, holding a glass of something that Ash couldn't identify, and sat back down at the table.

"What's that, Cynthia?" He asked.

"I can't say." She said in a conspiratorial tone, taking a large gulp of the liquid. Across the table, still not sat down, Cameron snorted.

"It's just pure Pecha berry juice, isn't it?" He asked dryly. Cynthia raised her eyebrows at him and raised her glass to him, coming a mock toast and a mock salute in one action.

"You know me too well."

"Uh, guys?" Dawn interrupted the so-far stilted conversation. "Don't we have to get going for the tournament?"

"No. We're not going." Cynthia said grimly and took another sip. The effect of her words was immediate.

"What?" cried Ash, Dawn and Iris. Cilan merely looked shocked.

"Why, what's happened?" he asked.

Cynthia looked at Cameron again, who had still made no move to join the table.

"Tell them."

"Aye." He finally moved, walking round to pull up the remaining seat next to Cynthia and gingerly sat down. "What you're about to hear is going to be a lot to process, but feel free to ask questions. There are two main events that you need to be aware of, the first concerning very recent events in this very region, and the second... we'll get to later. First, though... You may have heard of a group named Team Plasma operating out of this region?" All shook their heads, apart from Cynthia, who kept her gaze on the floor. She'd heard this, just minutes before.

"No, only Team Rocket." Iris said.

"There was Team Galactic too in Sinnoh!" Dawn put forward.

"And Teams Aqua and Magma in Hoenn." Ash recalled. "But we've never heard of a "Team Plasma", no. Who are they?"

"I'm not surprised that you've never heard of them. Unlike the previous criminal organisations you mentioned, they've done an excellent job at hiding their existence from not only the general public, but also general law enforcement. Their goal – to put it as simply as can be said – is to promote the well-being of Pokémon."

"That doesn't sound so bad." Ash shrugged.

"It isn't, and many Plasma members that have been uncovered are good people." Cameron replied. "But it's the way they go about their goal that has been the problem. In the few public rallies and events they've held, they've advocated the release by trainers of all captured Pokémon. This, as a viewpoint, I suppose you could argue, isn't necessarily a bad thing, But in the last month they extended their actions to stealing and holding Pokémon captive with the intention of simply mass-releasing them at a later date, we assume."

"That's horrible!" Ash growled. Cilan nodded.

"Ash is right. People and Pokémon don't always get along, but separating the two isn't going to help anything! Only by working together can the greatest battle flavour be produced!"

"Flavour?" questioned Cameron. Iris brought her palm to her face, whilst Dawn and Ash sighed.

"He's a Pokémon Connoisseur." She explained.

"Ah. Right... Well, last week Plasma sent an ultimatum to Alder and the Pokémon league."

"An ultimatum?" Ash said, confused.

"A final warning." Cilan simplified for him. Cameron nodded.

"They essentially ordered the League to require all trainers to release all Pokemon by sundown three days ago. The league decided they were bluffing and refused, only responding by publicly refusing to deal with terrorists. This effectively brought Plasma into the public eye, and I assume they felt that they needed to act fast." He paused, unsure how to continue.

"And then what happened?" Dawn asked, almost on the edge of her seat. The tension in the room was high.

"And then, very late last night, they attacked the Unova Pokémon league. Their leader, known only as "N", defeated Alder." Cynthia, finally speaking, finished for him. "Cameron told me ten minutes ago."

If the revelation of Team Plasma's goals had drawn anger from Ash and the others, this pronouncement simply stunned them into silence.

"No... How could Alder lose?" Ash couldn't believe it, and, given the way he nearly fell off Ash's shoulder, neither could Pikachu. Dawn had turned white. Iris had her hands over her mouth, whilst Cilan stood still as a stone.

"From what it would seem, N apparently befriended the legendary Pokémon Reshiram, impressing it with his quest for "truth". With Reshiram's immense power, no-one, not even Alder and his Pokémon, was able to stand in his way."

"Well, then, we need to help!" Ash yelled, jumping up. "We need to get to the Pokemon league and stop Plasma! Reshiram or not, we can't just let them get away with this!"

"There is no need." Cameron replied coolly. "The situation was already resolved by the time I arrived at the League this morning." Ash calmed slightly at this.

"Resolved? How?"

"A trainer – much like yourselves, actually – was intending to challenge Alder today and was staying at the League. When Plasma attacked, this trainer helped to defend the headquarters, and confronted N after he defeated Alder. The strength of their ideals apparently summoned Reshiram's counterpart, Zekrom, whom was promptly captured and aided in N's defeat, as well as in the defeat of Ghetsis, the mastermind behind Plasma's scheme. N left on Reshiram shortly after, and Ghetsis was arrested." He paused again, noting Ash's flash of recognition at the mention of Zekrom. "You've encountered Zekrom before?"

"Yeah, on my first day in Unova." Ash explained. "Pikachu was hit by a bolt of lightning when we first arrived, and Professor Juniper thought that Zekrom was responsible."

"Interesting. Either way, whilst Plasma's plans have been foiled, Unova is hardly out of the woods yet. League agents and the International Police are working together to find and dismantle the rest of its operations across the region. Given Alder's need to recover from his injuries, and the logistics of the aforementioned investigations, the World Tournament Junior Cup has been cancelled indefinitely for this year." Cameron finished with a grim finality.

At last, the pronouncement was made, and the four young trainers at the table sagged considerably, despondent for the moment, as did their Pokémon, some actually understanding the issue, and some simply sensing the mood.

"What about the Pokemon League competition?" Ash realised frantically._ Surely __**that**__ can't be cancelled too..._

"Don't worry, so far the Unova League has yet to cancel the conference – if nothing else occurs to disrupt the schedule, it will still take place in three months time." Cameron reassured him, standing up and walking to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Ash breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was so looking forward to that tournament as well." Iris said dejectedly. Axew began wailing, and it took a long hug to render him quiet again.

They all sat in silence for a short while.

Ash was briefly focused on preventing Pikachu from scampering off with a bottle of ketchup.

Dawn suddenly found the floor of Cynthia's villa much more interesting than before.

Iris admired the quality of the tablecloth whilst rocking Axew back and forth.

Cilan realised his shoes were untied.

"Well, actually..." The unexpected guest broke the silence and cleared his throat. "There is something that we could use your help with. But first I need to tell you more."

"You said that these recent events were only half of what you had to tell us." observed Cilan.

"Almost everything I've told you up to this point has been second hand. I received it from Alder this morning as he was being treated. Almost all of it will be public knowledge very shortly, when the media arrive and are properly briefed. No cameras were there at the time; all of the journalists had packed up to head to the World Tournament." He sat back down before continuing. "What will not be public knowledge is the truth about where I've been for the past year, alongside Steven, former champion of Hoenn."

"I met Steven once, back in Granite Cave in Hoenn!" Ash put in. He could hardly forget him; the elite trainer had saved him, May, Brock and Max from a horde of angry Aron and rescued Pikachu from Team Rocket shortly after.

Iris was amazed and reasonably annoyed at Ash's personal knowledge of so many august persons.

"How many champions have you met?" she cried indignantly, turning to face him.

"Lance sends his regards." Cameron added. Iris choked on a breath and started coughing.

"You... You've met Lance? Why did you never tell me?" she roared furiously, almost waking Axew again.

"Uh... it never came up? Why's it so important anyway?"

"Ash, Lance is the greatest dragon-type user _ever_!" Her tone was becoming increasingly frustrated. "Ugh, you're such a kid!"

"Anyway, as I was saying..." Cameron resumed. "Steven and I have been working together on a mission of infiltration, investigating suspicious activity in northern Hoenn. It took us a year to prepare, search and follow up on leads all across the region. Last week, we hit the jackpot... and blew our cover in the process."

* * *

_Five Days earlier..._

"_No. This is impossible..."_

"_If it's what their records say I wouldn't be too quick to doubt it." Steven countered. He stood next to Cameron, who was sat at the computer feeling as though the whole world had turned upside down._

_They both wore black cloaks which had helped to mask their presence at the base so far. Whoever the group actually was, all of their members seemed to wear such apparel._

_Not that it would help them at all if they were caught in this restricted zone gazing at such vital information._

_They had seen very little of actual use inside the base; mostly just locked, guarded doors and uncountable numbers of dark-cloaked grunts. Accessing this computer had been their first real success._

"_This..." Cameron jabbed a finger at the screen. "This links them to Unova... To "Team Plasma"... Is that who my contacts spoke of, just before we set off? And here – links to Kanto – deals, negotiations, joint operations with Team Rocket – they're everywhere."_

"_And yet there appears to be no information about this organisation itself in their own database." Steven observed thoughtfully. "No records; no personnel files nor logistics. Not even a mission statement. You'd expect their efforts to coordinate with other parts of the criminal underworld would be better encrypted..."_

"_Last thing before we go, we need a record of this." Cameron pulled out a USB drive. "Then we can depart." He plugged it in._

_An alarm went off._

"_Ah. Not good."_

_They could hear muffled voices outside the room, and then the door was flung open – two similarly clad opponents confronted them, one brandishing a Poké ball._

"_Intruders!" that one cried, tossing the ball. "You won't have our secrets! Skuntank, Flamethrower!" The Skunk Pokémon inhaled and shot a stream of fire at the two infiltrators, who leapt to the side as it incinerated the computer._

"_Damn, there goes Plan A." Cameron reached under his cloak and let out Jellicent, as Steven called upon Aggron. The former's Shadow Ball and the latter's Stone Edge cleared the path out of the room, the second grunt having been unable to send out a Pokémon before his defeat. They stormed out, Aggron in the lead and Jellicent taking up the rear, drifting unnervingly quietly along as it so often did._

"_Enough talk; let's just get out of here with what we know already." Steven grunted as the alarm continued to wail incessantly. On walkways above they could hear panicked shouts and rushing footsteps. "Aggron, open up that far wall with Hyper Beam!" _

_With a roar, the rock/steel type unleashed an echoing blast from his mouth, piercing the metal and concrete to open out into the light of day. Both trainers recalled their Pokémon, only to be blocked by grunts from out of the shadows as more closed in from behind._

* * *

"And then what happened?" gasped Dawn. Cameron shrugged.

"We fought our way out –"- he paused, indicating his injured leg – "and escaped before they could call on more reinforcements. After that, we travelled back to Kanto to brief Lance, and then I came straight here, knowing that Cynthia had been asked to participate in the World Tournament. Steven returned to Hoenn, and is focusing on marshalling forces for a proper assault on these mystery headquarters."

"I don't quite understand though; how does that have anything to do with needing our help?" Cilan queried.

The others nodded in confused agreement. Cynthia remained still.

"Strictly speaking, he only needs Ash's help..." She said quietly.

Cameron nodded and removed a container from his belt. He opened it to reveal a grey chunk of stone. It would be unremarkable if not for a white indentations and grooves etched into the surface.

"This was confiscated from a Plasma grunt a month ago. Lenora and Professor Juniper had time for an analysis over the past few weeks, but found nothing. If not for that Grunt's hysteria at its removal, and Ghetsis' reaction this morning to discovering that it was no longer in Plasma's possession, we would think nothing of it." He said. "However, we have to be sure. I've been told that you know Professor Oak very well, Ash. We need you to deliver it to him for further study. Lance will be arriving in Pallet Town in three weeks to hear the results."

Ash took the contained stone from him and stared at it briefly, before snapping the lid of the container shut.

"I wasn't planning on heading back to Kanto so soon... I don't understand, really; why me?" He asked.

"Because you've proven to multiple champions in the past that you're trustworthy and that you have the strength of will and character to get the job done."

Ash's spirit privately soared at the thought of being so positively regarded by the champions, but his continuing confusion at the unusual situation prevented his face from acknowledging it.

"But what does this have to do with Hoenn, and what you found?"

"Honestly? We don't know. But we know that whoever that group is, acting so secretly in the north, they have connections to Plasma. This stone could be vital in some way to those connections; even if it does not, we need leads, we need options. That stone's all we've really got so far, and with the recent crisis at the Unova league they need all hands on deck to assist with damage control, particularly next week when the inevitable inquiries and witch hunts for blame begin, so I can't deliver it myself."

"Politics at its finest." Cynthia muttered bitterly.

Ash sighed, and glanced once more at the container, and then at Pikachu, who gave him a look that practically said "_whatever you choose, we'll support you."_

_I guess I've got three months til the Unova league anyway, and the World Tournament Junior Cup's cancelled..._

He turned to regard Iris, Dawn and Cilan. His friends looked back at him worriedly.

"What do you guys think?" He asked. Iris answered first.

"It's a bit of a shakeup from what we had planned, but I'll go with you to Kanto. Who knows? I might find some more dragon types there, and be one step closer to being a dragon master!"

"Cilan, what about you?" The connoisseur shrugged, ignoring Iris' sudden realisation and swooning cry of _I'll get to meet Lance_.

"I've never been outside of Unova before..." He hesitated briefly. Ash feared for a second that he might decline. Cilan gazed over at Pansage, sitting with the other Pokemon. It kept its face neutral, but anyone looking closely enough would have observed the slightest nod, which Cilan seem to accept. "But I'll go with you, Ash."

"Dawn?" The blue-haired coordinator hesitated too, but – Ash knew - for a different reason.

"Okay." Dawn said finally. "I'm sure my Mom will understand if I call her first..." She smiled at him. "Oh yeah, I'll finally get to see your house, too! Maybe we could see Brock while we're there too..."

Ash turned back to Cameron.

"All right, we're in. But there's something we need to do first." Ash looked round, and called out. "Meloetta! If you're here, come out, please. This guy's a friend."

"Meloetta? Oh!" Cameron gasped as Meloetta appeared in front of him, shy as it always was when meeting new people. "Amazing! I've never seen..." He trailed off, fascinated.

"Meloetta's been travelling and staying with us for a while now." Ash explained. "If we're going to be leaving Unova soon then we need to give her the chance to find a new home, and Cilan said he'd heard rumours of a place on Route Fourteen that might be good to look at." Cilan confirmed this.

"Melo..." Meloetta blushed, seemingly touched by Ash's concern.

"That's okay, it could be a few days before flights out of Unova are opened again anyway, given the crisis. I'd be happy to come with you if you'd like up until you leave the region."

"Fine by me. It's settled then." Ash accepted, and the others nodded their assent as well.

"Not quite." It was Cynthia, speaking for the first time in at least five minutes. Everyone in the room turned to look at her. "I'm going too."

"To help Meloetta, or-"

"No. To Kanto."

Cameron didn't seem too happy with this.

"Cyn-" He started to say, but she shook her head and interrupted.

"No, Cam." She glared at him. "I'm sick of doing nothing. Sinnoh'll be fine without me for a little while. I want to travel again, and I'm going to Kanto to see Professor Oak with Ash and the others. And I want to have a long talk with Lance about a few things."

A private, mental battle – or at least a _staring contest_ - seemed to erupt between the former champion of Unova and the reigning champion of Sinnoh, with Ash and company caught in the middle. Eventually, Cameron seemed to relent, and waved his hand in defeat.

"All right."

"Okay, now it's settled!" Ash said triumphantly. "We'll help Meloetta get home, and then we'll get this stone to Professor Oak in no time!"

"We'll leave tomorrow morning at ten." Cynthia declared. She seemed - to Ash - to be more confident about the whole venture now that she was taking an active role – almost like she felt happier to be more in control over it than earlier. "I'll make the arrangements for our travel to route fourteen proper later today. It's only just past one o'clock, actually." She left the room. Cameron glanced at her on the way, then walked uneasily back over to the kitchen and began helping himself to the well-stocked fridge.

He'd visited before, of course, and knew she wouldn't mind.

* * *

Privately, Ash was unsure as to whether he'd made the right decision in agreeing to this responsibility. He could've just refused, and resumed exploring Unova with Iris and Cilan, meeting new people and Pokémon, and preparing for the Unova league.

His friends began chatting amongst themselves about what they had heard of Kanto, and what they hoped to see on the visit.

Iris had decided that she would call it a vacation, which, really, was stretching the truth a little.

_But,_ he realised, _we always end up sidetracked in some way on these journeys. This could be important, and if what Cameron said is true, we have no idea what we might face coming out of northern Hoenn – or how far it could have spread._

_And, _he reasoned_, this way Iris and Cilan get to meet my friends back in Kanto – and my older Pokémon too. Plus, Dawn gets too travel with us a little bit longer._

_And really, _he finished deliberating his choice in his mind_, how hard can this errand be?_

Much later, he would kick himself for tempting fate so blatantly.

* * *

_So wondrous to behold, so delicate and finely crafted – and yet, such a pleasure to smash._

_- Hatching Plans (Guildpact)_


	4. Practice

**Spoilers again for the Pokémon BW episode airing this Thursday in Japan (26/07/12). They're far more obvious this time, too.**

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

First, thank you Nauran for reviewing! I've taken your comments into consideration, particularly concerning the UK vs US debate. I've decided to change any words that sound different between the dialects to the US version to, as you suggest, keep in line with the anime (including "mum" to "mom") and continue with that precedent throughout the story. Any words that sound the same, just spelled differently (i.e. "favourite", or "defence") will remain in UK English for consistency and ease of spellchecking. If I miss any, please feel free to call me out on them.

The use of Latias instead of Latios was indeed also just a typo, so I've fixed that now.

I hope I can continue to keep my use of OCs measured and plot relevant; I've had trouble in the past doing so as opposed to either making them pointless, ill contrived or overpowered.

Thanks again for reviewing!

* * *

Despite the impact on their travel plans that the news that they had received had caused, the inhabitants of the villa had no need to be in any particular hurry that day.

Indeed, it felt little different from the day of their arrival, only without the novelty.

Ash began raiding the fridge, having gained Cynthia's permission to avoid feeling guilty. Pikachu had contented himself by swiping the largest bottle of ketchup that he could find and sipping from it at regular intervals.

Iris was out in the garden practicing with Axew's recently learned Giga Impact, using, at various points, Ash's Boldore, Cilan's Crustle and Dawn's Mamoswine as targets. The question of whether or not she actually _asked _said trainers for permission is perhaps best left unanswered. Nobody actually noticed for several hours anyway, at such an advanced level was Iris' skill at subterfuge.

Cilan and Dawn had returned to discussing the various aspects of their respective fields as a Connoisseur and as a Coordinator. Cilan expressed interest in participating in a contest someday, as it would be an excellent way to experience a type of battle flavour not entirely related to battling. Dawn agreed with the sentiment, even if she was still unsure as to the exact concept of "flavour". Then again, did anyone outside of the realm of the Pokémon Connoisseurs themselves _really_ understand it anyway?

All acted as they had done before.

The difference wasn't something that could be examined. It wasn't something an observer could witness from afar.

It was in the atmosphere. A certain tension existed throughout of the villa, simultaneously calming the visitors yet threatening to consume them at the same time. It was a mix of anticipation, apprehension, reservation and uncertainty, and an undercurrent of shock.

Perhaps this mix originated from the revelations in the morning. Shock at the events themselves that had occurred; the shock of the news relayed about the upheaval soon to strike the region.

Perhaps it originated partly from the messenger, not the message. The former champion had made himself at home in the villa's garden, perched on a deckchair with a morning paper and a bag of sweets. Uncertainty at his appearance, spurred on by Cynthia's initial frostiness to his very presence, though it had seemingly diminished after their plan had been finalised in the living room. Whether consciously or not, Iris found herself giving the newcomer a wide berth when she went down to help Axew practice Giga Impact.

Perhaps it originated from the prospect of foreign travel. Certainly not for Ash and less so for Dawn, but Iris and Cilan had never left Unova. Both were apprehensive of the trip to come, both – but especially Cilan – still had some reservations about going at all, but both also anticipated the new possibilities, the new challenges that awaited them in a far off land.

These doubts and uncertainties did not manifest out loud, nor were they obvious from the way that the four acted.

* * *

It was, at least, a beautiful day. If they had been staying at the villa for a proper vacation in Undella Town, there were few ways that the day could be more perfect.

Few people actually lived in Undella Town all year round.

In the spring and autumn, Undella Town would be almost completely deserted. It mainly served as a waypoint for trainers in the east, either looking to travel south to encounter Pokémon that would be impossible to find elsewhere in the Unova region, or looking to travel north on their way to Lacunosa Town or, in the Autumn, the Unova League. What greenery remained in the town – primarily the trees on the outskirts – would bloom briefly in spring and swiftly lose their leaves in autumn.

In the winter, the usually sparkling sea would glaciate close to the beach, attracting the bravest of thrill-seeking ice skaters and their Pokémon. Again, the Pokémon centre stayed open, but would receive few visits in the coldest months of the year. The town was never blanketed in snow as would be witnessed in Iccirus City in the northwest, but the drop in temperature between the end of autumn and the beginning of winter was very noticeable.

In summer, all of that changed. Undella Town burst into life each year with tourists flooding the town, in awe of the hot weather, seeking a tan or simply rest and relaxation. Businesses would set up mass-produced shops along the shore, each selling different varieties of food, beverages, toys and necessary beach equipment; opportunistically drawn by the massive temporary increase to the town's population. The plant life that had begun to bloom in the spring would flourish. Vast numbers of water-type Pokémon dwelled on the outskirts of both the city and just past a well-marked line in the sea, away from where children could stumble upon them accidentally, but close enough at hand to attract enterprising – and sometimes thrill-seeking trainers.

All of which disappeared – at the latest – at the slightest hint of September, and the season that, in its later days, it would undoubtedly bring with it.

None of which occurred to Cynthia in the slightest as she moved her car up a gear and drove out of the town, free to increase the speed now that she was outside the confines of the city and onto the winding path back up to the Villa.

Cynthia owned a number of these cars, all more or less the same, but generally had one positioned in each region that she had a holiday home or villa in. She valued their ability to perform much the same off-road as they did on it, and their maximum speed was more than sufficient for her needs. She had taken the one from Sinnoh with her to Unova, and had left it behind at the airport when she had jetted off with Ash and the others to Undella Town. She intended to pick it up and take it back on the return trip.

_The many perks of being a champion…_

What she intended to do next – travel with Ash and his friends to Kanto – fell within the duties of her role. _Just._

She would need to return to Sinnoh soon after it. Lance had only taken a month to travel to Hoenn and help to thwart Teams Aqua and Magma, and his return – celebrated though it had been with success – had also been met with annoyance at the length of time he had spent away. And he had a_ good_ relationship with the organisers of his league.

Cynthia wasn't sure why, but she had never really _clicked_ with the board of directors for the Sinnoh League. She took no more of a holiday than any other champion did. Perhaps it was her propensity to spend just as much of her time studying the ruins, myths and legends of the Sinnoh region – a place notably abundant for an admirer of such mysteries – as she did accepting challenges.

_Or, more likely…_ She thought, smiling cynically. _It's that I don't spend time parading myself in public as they want me to, outside of the Conference appearance…_

_Champions are primarily and traditionally sworn protectors of their regions. A description of the champion might well be accurate if simplified as "the strongest trainer in the region" but would hardly convey the responsibilities and sacrifices that a champion makes, nor the characteristics that they must possess._

_A champion has to be courageous but not foolhardy, strong but not arrogant, investigative but not paranoid._

_They must be paragons of measure and of restraint, but also of righteousness and justice._

_Such were the traditional tenants of the regional champions, and so they still remain._

As far as she could tell, Cynthia saw nothing about having schedules packed with promotional events, guest appearances and the schmoozing of the high and mighty, within the region and those visiting from without it.

Cynthia particularly hated _schmoozing_.

True, none of the current champions – nor their predecessors – were known to frequently take part in such farcical gatherings. But, more so than any of the others, the Sinnoh League board of directors was composed of officials with a staggering number of outside interests in business and such industries. As such, Cynthia faced far more pressure to stick to a schedule than any other champion.

Not that she gave in.

She briefly wondered who the new champion of Unova actually was, and how they would deal with the sort; Cameron had effectively glossed over that information in an attempt to expedite the relaying of the actual information he had to give, though later clarified that Alder had not been really injured in the attack, and that all of his Pokémon were fine.

Cilan had tried to point out that perhaps Alder had not actually lost his title, because N had surely not battled the eight gyms required for a proper challenge, and so his conquest was null and void. Cameron had countered with the further reveal that N's vanquisher had proceeded to battle Alder anyway and win.

Such would only be a mere technicality anyway, and champions didn't work with technicalities.

There were complications that depended on each region when it came to challenging an incumbent champion anyway, as Cameron proceeded to elaborate on - something that Cynthia knew only too well.

In Sinnoh, she would normally accept champion's challenges from the winners of the annual conference, and at any time from members of her Elite Four. She also had the authority to accept challenges at any time, but her board of directors had not appreciated it the last time she had exercised said right.

In Unova, on the other hand, challengers had the opportunity to prove their worth by conquering Victory Road and the region's Elite Four, earning the right to face Alder in battle. It seemed that the saviour of the League had taken this path, and that was why their legitimacy stood either way.

Plus, from the way Cameron recounted the tale, it seemed that Alder had accepted his battle against N as a challenge for his throne regardless of N's lack of gym badges; possibly as a way of testing the truth he purported to offer.

She'd been somewhat fortunate in her trip to Undella Town that no-one yet knew the proper truth about what had occurred, and thus she escaped what would have been an inevitable tide of questioning over her opinion on the events. Instead, she had managed to make the arrangements for the care of her villa while she would be gone quickly and without a fuss, and had left the town just as fast.

Some she had met had asked her what she knew of the events, and she had replied, somewhat woodenly, with what she had heard on the TV shortly before leaving the villa.

Truth was a virtue that champions also dealt in, but not in its complete revelation – only in its careful application. If nobody told the truth to any question asked, then trust would cease to exist if everyone told the truth to every question asked, chaos would reign and privacy would cease to exist. Finding the proper medium in their actions was also the duty of a champion.

_The role of the champion is not merely the title of the strongest trainer in the region. It is also a role of philosophical importance, providing guidance, balance, and protection._

Cynthia absently pulled up into the villa's drive, aware that she had to leave a space of sufficient size for other cars, including Jeremy's, should he ever need to move it. She put away the thoughts and annoyances she had been considering before, and left them for another day.

_Or never again, I hope._

* * *

"Uhhh, Cynthia? If you're not busy, can you help me train with Dragonite please?"

Watching Iris ask (or beg) Cynthia for something had become something of a regular source of amusement for Ash, Cilan and Dawn.

Normally, when Iris wanted something she would hardly hesitate to demand it. It would be a stretch to claim that she was a bully, but had a confident demeanour strong enough to suggest an undertone that she wouldn't take no for an answer. The recipient of her attention would, faced with such boisterous aggression, often simply acquiesce immediately, as Ash had personally discovered and Cilan had witnessed.

And that was assuming that she bothered to ask at all; as evidenced by her appropriation of their – and Dawn's - Pokémon earlier in the day to use as target practice for Gible's Giga Impact.

The possibility of her doing the same to help her bond with Dragonite wasn't even worth_ thinking_ about.

Her attitude to asking Cynthia was thus remarkably different. Every time, except for her outburst when asking for a battle before they came to the villa, Iris would never demand, never adopt an aggressive tone of voice. She would be polite, hesitant and often even shy to her idol.

The best part was that she probably wasn't even acting; that made it even more amusing to Cilan, who had been on the receiving end of her endless ribbing for his long list of people to respect when in the role of a Connoisseur – be it Pokémon, Metro or otherwise.

It felt good to get ironic payback for once.

This time, Iris had ambushed Cynthia when she had returned from her errands in Undella Town. She had barely stepped foot in the garden, having tossed her car keys onto a table in the living room, when Iris jumped out at her. Ash was upstairs somewhere, probably still on the balcony, whilst Cilan and Dawn were treating their Pokémon – and Ash's Boldore – in the aftermath of Iris' impromptu training session earlier. Cameron had moved little since sitting down an hour before. The _Daily Unova_ newspaper was, indeed, famous for its length and for the difficulty of its crossword puzzles.

For her part, Cynthia seemed to acknowledge and attempt to play down Iris' nigh-on hero worship of her. _Then aga_in, Cilan imagined_, she probably gets it all the time_.

"Of course, Iris. How about a battle?"

Once more, Iris' eyes lit up.

"Awesome, battling you always turns out great!" Her excitement was threatening to overwhelm her dignity at this point.

Cilan nearly felt the need to remind her that she'd only battled with Cynthia once before, but managed to restrain himself and thus avoid a sassy comeback from the dragon-master to be in return.

"Oh, I wasn't thinking about battling against you again." Cynthia mused. "How would you like to battle alongside me?"

It hadn't seemed to be possible a moment ago that Iris' smile could grow any wider, and yet she managed it now, somehow. She swooned, taking Axew down with her, and practically squealed with delight as well, barely managing to squeeze in a "Yes please…". _So much for dignity…_

"As for opponents…" Cynthia considered, though plainly amused by Iris' antics. "Cilan, would you and Dawn like to battle us?"

"We can't, sorry." Cilan spoke, and Dawn shook her head. "We're going to have another Co-ordinator versus Connoisseur competition, and we've both got one less Pokémon in a fit state to battle than usual." They both glared at Iris, who grinned sheepishly, then seemed to have a brainwave.

"Oi, Ash!" Iris roared, calling up to the balcony and abandoning all decorum of speech.

"There's one." She said, turning back to Cynthia. "He can't resist a battle."

"Well, there's only one person, left I guess. Cameron!" Cynthia called. The ex-champion turned his face towards her, his eyes still obscured by the cheap sunglasses he wore.

"Sorry, what? I was busy doing the crossword, didn't hear a word."

"We're having a battle; we need you to go with Ash on the other side."

"Fair enough." He got up out of the chair and walked over, sliding the sunglasses off his face. "Been a while since I last had a proper battle, though."

"Don't worry; we'll go easy on you." Iris smirked.

* * *

It took Ash five minutes to finally emerge from the villa, during which time Iris took delight in the opportunity to call for him twice more, increasing in volume each time. He carried Pikachu out with him. Having apparently taken so long because he had been required to track down the mouse Pokémon and return at least three bottles of ketchup to the refrigerator.

Upon exiting the villa Ash was also not pleased to discover that he had been missing a Pokémon for several hours, and thus spent a good ten minutes comforting Boldore before returning him to his Poké Ball.

"Can't believe you took him without my permission." He grumbled at Iris as they walked around to the battlefield with Cameron, followed by Cilan and Dawn. Cynthia had ventured back into the villa to request Jeremy to referee the match, though it hardly took her much time to find him.

"Oh, stop being such a kid." She remarked snidely back as she took up her position opposite Ash and Cameron, joined shortly later by Cynthia, as Jeremy stood in the middle to the left, flanked by Cilan and Dawn to his right. Meloetta had returned from examining the forest surrounding the villa to find out what was going on at the battlefield, followed by Piplup and, perplexingly for Ash, Oshawott. The three Pokémon moved round the field to sit next to Cilan and Dawn at the side.

"The Pokémon tag battle between the team of Cynthia and Iris and the team of Ash and Cameron will now begin. Each trainer may only use one Pokémon."

"All right! Dragonite, let's go!" Iris chose to send out her Pokémon first, not that it was a surprise to anyone, given how the battle was conceived for its benefit. Dragonite roared a challenge as it emerged from the ball, but looked around at Iris, confused and annoyed, when it realised that it was alone on the battlefield. Ash looked to Pikachu on his shoulder.

"You ready to battle, buddy?" Pikachu shouted his name in assent, emitting sparks that danced around his cheeks. "Okay then, Pikachu, I choose you!" Pikachu leapt off of Ash's shoulder to land on the ground in the arena. This attracted Dragonite's attention. Pleased to have a target to consider, it bared its fangs at Pikachu, then crossed its arms and closed its eyes, noting that Pikachu had failed to stop its rampage a few days earlier. Pikachu growled in response, increasing the electricity coursing through his cheeks.

"Garchomp, battle dance!" cried Cynthia, calling upon her reliable star. The Mach Pokémon entered the battlefield and greeted Pikachu in a friendly manner, or, at least, as friendly as its usual roar could seem. This got Dragonite's attention, unsure as to whether it should consider the other dragon Pokémon as a friend or a rival, albeit not an enemy; even Dragonite could tell that they were on the same team.

Three of the four trainers had now chosen their Pokémon for the battle, leaving just Cameron, who cocked his head to one side for a moment, then turned to Ash.

"Ash, have you ever seen a Ferrothorn in a battle before?"

"Uh, we saw one a few days ago, but not in a proper battle."

"All right then." Cameron decided. "Ferrothorn, rock out!" He tossed the ball into the air, sending out the Thorn Pod Pokémon. Its appearance earned another bellowed challenge from Dragonite, a wave from Pikachu and silent contemplation from Garchomp. For its part, it remained completely, almost unnervingly still, and simply stared out towards Cynthia and Iris' Pokémon, hardly even blinking.

"Looks like Cynthia and Iris have the advantage offensively, but it'll be interesting to see how powerful Ferrothorn's defences are. It might be able to withstand them." Cilan commented from the side-line.

"Begin!" called out Jeremy, bringing his arms down.

Dragonite, taking nearly _everyone_ by surprise, went straight on the attack with a ThunderPunch towards Pikachu.

"Uh, yeah, go for a ThunderPunch, Dragonite!" Iris said quickly, blushing slightly.

Dragonite's speed caught Pikachu completely off-guard, frozen in shock at its ferocity. The hit would have been direct and would have dealt massive damage to the physically smaller Pokémon.

Would being the operative word there. Ferrothorn had begun moving in front of Pikachu before Dragonite had started to move forward, anticipating an early offensive.

"Ferrothorn, Protect!"

It pulled a steel-clad feeler out of the ground and slashed it with surprising speed across the air, generating a shimmering blue barrier, shielding the two Pokémon from Dragonite's thunderous wrath. The aggressor attempted to push through Ferrothorn's move for a few seconds more, then snorted in anger and frustration and disengaged backwards, its wings fluttering quickly. As it did so, Ash raised a hand, intending to capitalise on its failed offensive and catch it unawares.

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball on Dragonite now!" The yellow rodent began charging power at his tail, as Dragonite tensed and began to move forward again.

"Pika pika pika… Chu pi!" Pikachu leapt and unleashed a fully-powered bolt of electricity from his tail, which crackled as it soared through the air towards Dragonite.

Cynthia smiled.

"Garchomp, intercept that attack and hit Pikachu with Brick Break!"

With its famed speed, the ground/dragon type took to the air with a cry and jumped into the path of the ball, which fizzled out. Using its momentum, it swooped towards Pikachu, still surprised at the failure of the Electro Ball. However, as it brought its arms crashing down, glowing white with the power of the Brick Break, it found its way blocked by Ferrothorn again. The attack connected this time, at least, smashing across Ferrothorn's "cheek". It seemed to hit the steel/grass type hard with the advantage of being super effective. Garchomp disengaged backwards, shrugging off its impact with Ferrothorn's thorny, iron barbs as the results of the first damaging attack to succeed became apparent to the trainers and spectators.

"Ferrothorn took a lot from that, but Garchomp didn't get out of the impact without penalty either due to Ferrothorn's ability." Cilan commented from the side.

"Garchomp's immunity to electricity helps Iris out a lot; otherwise her Dragonite would take some quite a bit of damage from Pikachu's attacks." Dawn added.

"Dragonite, use Outrage!" Iris commanded. Dragonite huffed, and then decided to obey, though whether because it would have done so anyway or out of genuine loyalty would be a hard question to answer. Judging by a quick smile from Cameron, it seemed that this was what he had been waiting for.

"Leech Seed!" He cried. Ferrothorn reared up and launched a grey seed from the side of one of its vines towards the oncoming opposition.

"Dragonite, dodge it!" Iris yelled, but it was too late. The seed connected head on with Dragonite, and sprouted vines immediately that rapidly spread over its body and began sapping its energy, invigorating Ferrothorn at the same time.

"Garchomp, cut those vines off now!" Cynthia ordered. Garchomp surged towards her ally and, with surgical precision, used Brick Break to sever the Leech Seed's choking grip.

Which left Ash and Pikachu the excellent opportunity to…

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Dragonite, now!"

A blast of electricity briefly connected the two foes before it ceased nearly as quickly as it began. Dragonite fell to the ground on one knee, its' face contorted in pain.

"That looked like it hurt a lot more than when Pikachu used Thunderbolt a few days ago!" Dawn exclaimed, confused.

"That's because of Dragonite's ability, Multiscale." Cilan explained. "It blunts the force of the first attack to hit Dragonite, but it had already taken some damage from Leech Seed so Multiscale didn't kick in. Ash is thinking pretty tactically."

"Dragonite, you okay?" called Iris, but Dragonite shrugged off her concern and unleashed a Flamethrower towards Ferrothorn.

"Protect, quickly!" cried Cameron. The blue shield erupted around the Thorn Pod Pokémon just in time to stave off the charring fire. "Ash, Flamethrower could be what decides this battle! We need to stop Dragonite, fast!"

"Right! Pikachu, use-"

"Garchomp, Dragon Rush on Ferrothorn while it can't protect!" Cynthia ordered. Garchomp once again entered the fray, and scored another direct hit on Ferrothorn. The damage did not seem critical, particularly given that Ferrothorn had been able to heal from its usage of Leech Seed, but it was adding to the pressure on Ash and Cameron.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack on Dragonite, go!"

With blazing speed, Pikachu raced across the battlefield and struck Dragonite in the face, knocking it briefly senseless.

"Now, use Iron Tail!" Still rushing from the momentum of the Quick Attack, Pikachu aimed his Tail, now glowing with metallic fury, straight at Dragonite's easily targetable body.

And found himself once again blocked by Garchomp, though this time its attack actually hurt Cynthia's finest. Either way, Dragonite was able to find its feet and immediately dashed away in a blur. Pikachu looked around, confused, and darted away with Quick Attack himself, but was not fast enough to outrun Dragonite and was knocked back next to Ferrothorn.

"Ooh, yes!" Iris screamed in delight. "Use ExtremeSpeed as much as you want, go!"

Dragonite seemed happy to oblige, and began running in circles around Ferrothorn and Pikachu, effectively teasing them.

"Enough! Ferrothorn, use Power Whip to trip it up!"

"Pikachu, hit Dragonite with an Electro Ball when it comes out of its acceleration!

Ferrothorn hesitated for a moment, calculating distances and placements, and Pikachu began charging an Electro Ball.

"Pika pika pika…"

Iris almost had enough time to tell Dragonite to "dodge!" or "be careful!".

Almost.

Ferrothorn unleashed a feeler straight forward from its position, catching Dragonite by the ankle – it was flying too low to avoid it – and tossing it with a thump to the ground. The damage from the feeler was mostly ineffective due to typing, but it did set up…

"Chu pi!"

Pikachu followed up with a direct Electro Ball hit, ensuring that it would stay down in pain for at least a little while.

Which gave Garchomp, swooping and circling as it was, an opening for a…

"Dragon Rush on Pikachu! Then Brick Break on Ferrothorn!" cried Cynthia.

Garchomp charged at Pikachu, who had little time to react and tense to the hit before he took it, suffering massive damage. The subsequent Brick Break had a similar effect as the first one, at a subsequent cost to Garchomp from the Iron Barbs; she was breathing rather heavily at this point, though so was Pikachu. Ferrothorn was a mystery; it made little sound even in the heat of battle, but its metal exterior seemed somewhat dented after two powerful Brick Breaks.

As for Dragonite, it was still struggling to rise from the impact crater after being tossed by Power Whip.

"Come on, Dragonite, I know you can get up!" Iris pleaded.

"Leech Seed again, Ferrothorn!" Cameron yelled. Once again, the seed shot from Ferrothorn to Dragonite, and once again it connected and began sapping what remained of Dragonite's stamina.

"Garchomp, help Dra-" Cynthia began to call out, worried, but Ash interrupted her.

"Pikachu, stop Garchomp with an Iron Tail!" The electric mouse jumped at Garchomp tail-first, forcing her to defend itself, allowing Ferrothorn to complete its grisly work.

Dragonite made one final attempt to shrug off the vines from the Leech Seed, then, with an almost pitiful cry, it fell down again. Its eyes fluttered shut, and it moved no more, knocked out stone cold.

"Dragonite is unable to battle!" Jeremy declared.

"Aww." Iris sighed, and returned Dragonite to its ball. "You did well out there, Dragonite. Sorry, Cynthia." She moved out of the battlefield to sit next to Cilan and Dawn, who patted her on the back.

On the battlefield, Garchomp stood between Ferrothorn and Pikachu, eyeing them both carefully.

"Now Ash and Cameron have the advantage." Cilan said.

"But Garchomp is an offensive powerhouse, it tore through all of Paul's team back in Sinnoh." Dawn pointed out.

"Who's Paul?"

"A rival of Ash's."

"Huh. I wonder what kind of flavour his battle style possesses…"

"Garchomp, Draco Meteor on Pikachu, now!" Cynthia grinned. Bending one knee, Garchomp fired off a massive bolt of energy, which flew into the sky and exploded, raining down smaller chunks onto the battlefield.

"Ferrothorn, Protect!" Cameron yelled.

Somewhat unnecessary, really. Ferrothorn was the target of none of the Meteor fragments.

Relevant here is the knowledge that a competent, well trained user of Draco Meteor can direct not only the initial burst, but also the fragments that fall to earth afterwards.

Perhaps unsurprising, Garchomp was competent enough to do so, and directed all of the meteor's fury at Pikachu.

Caught away from Ferrothorn's protection after its earlier scuffle with Garchomp, Pikachu was boxed in and had nowhere to go. It attempted to escape via Quick Attack, but after one direct hit, more followed, sending Pikachu flying towards Ash, knocked out as badly as Dragonite.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" noted Jeremy. Ash gathered up Pikachu in his arms, who stirred, but was plainly in no condition to battle on.

"You did great, buddy, don't worry." He said as he moved to stand next to the other spectators.

"Now Cynthia and Garchomp have the offensive advantage, especially as Ferrothorn can't rely on Protect for a little while longer." Cilan updated his assessment. "But, I wouldn't count Ferrothorn out just yet…"

"Garchomp's taken so much damage from Iron Barbs over the fight, it's amazing that it can still stand." Dawn said, recalling her experience of watching Garchomp in action in Sinnoh. "But I guess not too surprising..."

"Come on Cynthia! You've got to end it quickly!" Iris yelled.

"Cameron, you can do it!" Ash mimicked her in a show of support.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, both Pokémon had been gathering their respective breaths, gazing at each other and preparing for the battle's endgame.

Then the staring contest ceased. Soon after it did so, the battle finished to.

"Brick Break, one last time!" Cynthia ordered. Garchomp drew on what remained of her strength and blitzed forward, forearms glowing with deadly power, to deliver the final blow.

"Protect again!" Cameron risked his luck. Ferrothorn would never have time to prepare a Power Whip in its current state, especially given Garchomp's drastic speed. Protect actually succeeding twice in a row _might _work.

With little sense of build-up, Garchomp crashed into Ferrothorn, raising a massive cloud of smoke and dust from the impact into the ground that obscured the spectators' and trainers' view of the field.

Everyone watching, human and Pokémon, leaned forward in anticipation.

The smoke cleared. Ferrothorn was down and out; its eyes shut tight, its feelers unmoving in the settling dust.

Garchomp was on its feet. Panting heavily, but still standing…

Jeremy opened his mouth to declare the result…

Garchomp fell to one knee, then to both and finally dropped with a dull thud, slipping into unconsciousness next to Ferrothorn. She had finally succumbed to the accumulated Iron Barb damage that she had sustained over the course of the fight; exacerbated by the hits from Pikachu's attacks.

"Ferrothorn and Garchomp are both unable to battle!" Jeremy declared. "The result of this tag battle is a tie!"

For a moment, no-one said a word as the outcome of the battle sank in. Cynthia and Cameron stared at what had unfolded before them.

Cameron broke down laughing. A smile tugged at Cynthia's face, as though threatening to emulate him further. The spectators could only look on, confused.

Both trainers walked to their Pokémon in the middle, who were beginning to come around.

"Every… time…" It took Cameron a minute to get the words out coherently. "I swear that happens every time… We either don't finish or we tie…"

"An excellent battle, everyone." Cynthia was also still smiling as she turned to Ash and Iris, pushing her hair out of the way of her eyes so that they were both briefly visible. "Iris, you were a great partner to battle alongside, and Dragonite has impressive strength. Given time, I'm sure you'll be able to forge a great bond together."

"Thank you!" was all Iris could choke out at such high praise from one of the people she most admired.

"I gotta say, Cameron, your Ferrothorn's pretty well trained, I don't think I ever saw a Pokémon need three hits from Garchomp to faint before, except for Dialga and Palkia." Ash said.

"I can only say the same about Pikachu, Ash. Its strength and potential far exceeds its stature." Cameron returned the compliment. "And your role as its trainer needs mention as well. You commanded Pikachu brilliantly today. To borrow one of Cynthia's favourite phrases…" He paused to scowl at Cynthia as she elbowed him in the side, and then continued. "The bond you share is evident from the way you battle."

"Right back at ya." Ash smiled and extended his hand, which Cameron took. Cynthia and Iris repeated the motion.

Cilan couldn't contain himself any longer.

"That was amazing!" He burst out, startling everyone. So many blends of offensive and defensive flavour… Such teamwork! Pikachu's well aimed Electro Balls… Dragonite's sheer power! Garchomp's unrivalled speed, Ferrothorn's inspiring protection! All coming together towards the perfect recipe for a great battle!" He hardly seemed to pause for breath, and continued babbling even as Dawn dragged him away.

"Yeah, yeah, flavour…" She muttered. "Let's go see what could be for lunch, all right, and save the others from you…" They were followed closely by Jeremy. Meloetta also accompanied them, curious at the possibility of new food – and feeling safer in the villa anyway – and where she went, Oshawott and Piplup inevitably followed, squabbling all the way.

"We don't have any proper Pokémon centre facilities in the villa, so it's time to treat our Pokémon the hard way." Cynthia reminded the others.

"Right!" said Iris. She tossed the ball in the air and sent out Dragonite once again. Cynthia began handing out high-strength potions to each of them, and they went to work applying them to their Pokémon. Dragonite seemed confused by its re-emergence after the battle, particularly so close to those who had been its opponents only five minutes before. It aimed a half-hearted swipe at Ferrothorn before wincing and recoiling in pain.

"Dragonite, please, let me help you!" Iris begged as it squirmed and struggled away from her, as if afraid – or ashamed - to show its pain so visibly, or perhaps not understanding the purpose of the potion bottle that was aimed straight at it.

A low guttural growl stopped it completely. Garchomp was fully awake once again, and began conversing with Dragonite in a series of quick growls. She pointed to a patch of bruised skin on her arm that had arisen from contact with Ferrothorn, and, as Dragonite watched, allowed Cynthia to spray the affected area, which healed completely in seconds. With that, and another growl, Garchomp returned to its calm state.

Slowly, Dragonite stopped struggling, and tentatively leaned its leg forward to allow Iris to spray some of the high-strength potion on the area that Ferrothorn had caught it earlier, followed by where it had landed after being tossed.

"It just takes a little time and trust…" Cynthia whispered to Iris as she moved around her Pokémon, spraying the areas in which it was most hurt. Dragonite relaxed a little more each moment, and eventually bellowed to Iris gratitude when she finished.

_Progress of this nature always takes time and trust…_

* * *

Progress can take many forms, however, and whilst time can be acceptably deemed essential for probably all of them, trust is often unnecessary.

Exemplifying such a theory at that very second were three beings of questionable repute, hiding carefully in the bushes outside the villa. Their current plan of action now only had very little time left to succeed, but at the least required very little trust in the capabilities of their adversaries.

"They're headin' off again tomorrow, so they said. Yamask heard it all this morning." Meowth reported in, having translated the ghost Pokémon's eerie speech moments before. "Then they're back to Kanto."

"We have to stay on their trail and wait for the right moment…" James said, as Yamask drifted over to hover above his blue hair.

"Then we take Meloetta, and the plan goes on from there." Jessie finished.

All three smiled grimly at each other.

This time, Team Rocket could _not _afford to fail.

* * *

Later that night, Ash's mind wandered as he desperately sought blissful sleep that never came early enough.

A long time ago, his pre-sleep thoughts might have rested on a battle that he had taken part in that day, and certainly today's excitement had numerous moments that could be called memorable.

But he did not, could not, think of battle.

Certainly, other concerns did plague him; to suggest otherwise would be to assume that he was truly oblivious to everything that occurred around him.

He could have been pondering the continuation of his goal, and the many setbacks along the way that pushed it further away from him towards – or even over – the horizon.

He could have been pondering the new mission he had accepted, and his imminent return to home.

He thought of neither.

Instead, his mind was consumed, as it had been on and off for months, by thoughts of a single girl, _the _girl who haunted his sleepless nights. The sad impossibility of his desires, which had arrived far too late, drove his mind to rage, but, lost in the haze of sleep that would eventually arrive from bodily exhaustion, such thoughts were forgotten in the morning, buried into his sub consciousness by rest.

Until tomorrow night.

* * *

_Under the master's watchful eye, skills are honed sharper and spells cut deeper._

_- Training Grounds (Rise of the Eldrazi)_


	5. Swarm

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Thanks for the review and praise, Omega-Saber!

* * *

The landscape south of Undella Town truly epitomised the drastic transformation that the town underwent in the fleeting summer months. Far more so than the north, where an unnatural chill originating from the Giant Chasm permeated its surroundings all year round, route fourteen during these months had pleasant weather, and was a mix of various brightly coloured flowers and vibrant, healthy Pokémon.

This was something that Ash might have appreciated a little more had he not been nursing a violent headache brought on several hours before that was only now beginning to die down.

Dawn had taken so long to prepare for their departure this time that, he had sworn through the door, rather rashly, that he would come in to see what was holding her up if she didn't vacate the room within ten seconds.

Despite having no intention of actually do so, it seemed like an appropriate threat at the time to vent his annoyance.

Unfortunately, Iris had taken the opportunity while his back was turned to sneak past and open the door wide, then wisely sprint away.

Three things followed.

First, Dawn had screamed.

Second, Ash had received a powerful blow to the cranium. He had fallen down, utterly bewildered by the turn of events.

Third, Iris had been driven to tears with laughter at the spectacle.

Three hours later and they were walking through route fourteen. The road was overgrown in places in places but they could still follow it, and had now reached what appeared to be a vast area of land with a snaking path raised above it, effectively creating a navigable hill above the tall grass. The land below had experienced rampant growth and, while they could probably move through it if they had to, was thick enough as to be impenetrable to the eye above, and so they chose to ignore it as a possible direction. The route had narrowed to the point of being only crossable in double file, and so they walked as such. Cynthia and Cameron took point; Iris and Cilan came next, and Dawn and Ash brought up the rear. Meloetta flew above Dawn and Ash, with Pikachu and Piplup on their trainers' shoulders below.

Dawn noticed Ash still rubbing his head and apologised again for what must have been the thirteenth time inside the hour.

Ash said that he didn't blame her and instead glared forward at the dragon-master to-be ahead of him.

Iris only snickered.

Past the tall grass lay a forest that stretched out on both sides as far as they could see. After consulting the map and what Cilan had heard of the route before, Cynthia and Cilan decided that the best way forward should be through said forest, and so they chose to continue.

"Did they say what kind of Pokémon live around here?" Dawn called to Cilan, who had done the most research on the area.

"The people I spoke to said that this is another area where a lot of rare Pokémon by Unovan standards that would be common in other regions make their homes." He replied.

"Any dragons?" Iris cut straight to her chosen field. Cilan thought for a moment.

"They said that there are rumours of Altaria in these parts." He recalled.

"I love Altaria, I hope we see some so I can catch one!" Iris cried.

"I wouldn't bank on it." Cameron called from the front. "The heat around this time of year makes most Pokémon stay off the road and congregate around lakes, rivers or natural pools. At best, we might see a Tropius."

""Did you look this place up too, Cameron?" Cilan asked.

"Well, no… I travelled here before when I was Champion."

"Oh, right."

* * *

As their conversation continued, they were unaware of an approaching threat.

The forest ahead trembled, shaking as if blown by an incredibly harsh wind, but on a day with such calm, pleasant weather, there was no natural force that this could be attributed to.

Something stormed in the direction of the group, flying through the forest. A rush of bodies moving, wings beating, in what can only be described as abject panic, a primal need to escape from what they feared.

To be fair, there was likely little that the group could have done to prepare for it if they had been aware.

* * *

Iris, her hearing honed by years of travel in the wild, heard it first. She stopped suddenly, causing Ash to crash straight into her, and displacing Pikachu to the ground. Cynthia and Cameron turned around at the sound of Ash falling over to see what had happened. They were fairly close to the first trees of the forest by this point.

"Hey… do you guys hear that?" Iris asked.

"Hear what?" Dawn replied, confused.

"All I hear is the sound of my headache getting worse…" Ash complained, getting up.

"It sounds like… buzzing, I think…"

"It's probably just the wind." Cilan reassured her. And then he heard it too. "Okay, no, that's not the wind."

"I… Oh, wow, I can hear it as well." Dawn corrected herself from earlier, cocking her head to one side.

All six were now silent, listening intently. All six could now hear the noise.

"It's like a droning…" Ash said. Uncertainty crept onto his face, an expression mirrored by Cilan, Dawn and Iris. Cynthia and Cameron shared a grim poker face as they stared at the forest ahead. Pikachu and Piplup clung to their trainers in apprehension, while Meloetta also moved down to be closer to the group. Axew dove deeper into Iris' hair in search of safety.

"It's definitely coming from the forest." Cynthia confirmed.

She was about to add something along the lines of a warning like "stay vigilant", but never actually got the chance.

The swarm was upon them. The droning reached deafening levels as hundreds of red bodies with green faces and orange-striped, white diaphanous wings emerged screeching from the forest, flying quickly and surrounding the group of trainers and Pokémon.

Their sudden cries and screams of shock and surprised were lost in the air by the massive whirlwind that the swarm produced. Voices hardly carried over the rushing wind.

The initial force of the outbreak was lost, and soon the group found themselves effectively at the eye of the maelstrom. Dawn tried to yell something to the others, but only managed to have the wind knocked out of her, knocking her to the floor, and Piplup with her.

"Yes, Dawn, that's a good plan!" Cynthia managed to shout as she allowed herself to drop to the floor as well. "We should be able to stay on this path if we're closer to the floor!" Dawn, still trying to catch her breath, didn't have the opportunity to explain that she'd only fallen by accident, but decided not to try in the end anyway. The others replicated the motion anyway.

"What on earth is this, anyway?" screamed Iris. "A storm?"

Ash managed to reach his Pokédex out of his pocket – no small feat, considering how far he had crouched to the ground – and aimed it at the buzzing horde.

"Yanma, the Clear Wing Pokémon. Its eyes can see a full 360 degrees around without moving its head and it flits about to guard its territory." The dex identified the panicking Pokémon.

"They're Yanma!" Ash confirmed to the others.

"It's a swarm!" Cameron realised. "Stay on the ground until it passes or you could be carried or pushed off if they get too close!"

Having moved through the forest in such a small, compact rush, the bug Pokémon had dispersed immediately after breaching the treeline, and were now flying in confused circles over the comparatively empty path above the tall grass. Hence the "storm" effect.

Cameron's statement was tempting fate a little too much, unfortunately.

Pikachu was the first to go. He lost his grip on Ash's jacket and, weighing so little, was easily caught by the force of the wind and carried off.

"Pikaaaa!"

"Pikachu, no!" Ash roared, and dived left off the path to catch his best Pokémon companion. He succeeded, but rolled out of sight into the tall grass below. Meloetta followed him.

"Ash!" Dawn screamed. She moved slightly forward – and stood up - to try to watch his fall and see where he would land. Big mistake.

The Yanma were getting closer to the ground, and Dawn's straightening of her back left her vulnerable to them. One of the lowest caught her in the back, pushing her straight off the side and taking Piplup with her.

Cilan fell barely seconds after Dawn, more through bad luck than bad judgement; as more Yanma approached the ground, he was standing just a little too close to the side. Before anyone knew it, he was sent tumbling in the direction Ash and Dawn had gone as well.

Iris tried to scramble over to where her friends had been knocked off, but found herself pulled back and dragged to the floor by Cynthia.

"We can't help them at this point!" Cynthia cried, fighting to be heard over the drone of the frightened Yanma. "We need to stick together until the swarm calms down or passes on!"

Iris looked to be on the verge of disobeying Cynthia and leaping into the tall grass to find the others, but managed to restrain herself, and nodded.

They waited a full minute, but the swarm didn't seem to be slowing down or stopping its circular rampage; the Yanma just kept panicking and droning.

"This is going to take too long, we risk being separated further!" Cameron pulled a Poké Ball out of his jacket. "Volcarona, rock out!"

He tossed the ball at a low height to avoid it being intercepted by one of the Yanma. Volcarona emerged and gave a cry, spreading its wings in a flurry of red and orange hues and dotted with black spots. The swarm flowed around it as it rose slightly in the air, the Compound eyes of the individual Yanma alerting them to the bright warning colours.

"Wow, a Volcarona!" Iris gasped, recalling their rarity from her last encounter with the Sun Pokémon near Iccirus City.

"Use Bug Buzz and scare the swarm!" Cameron ordered. Volcarona dipped its head in assent, and rose further upwards into the "eye" of the swarm, so as to be at the centre vertically as well as horizontally.

For a moment, it hovered still, imperceptibly tensing its body for what it would imminently unleash, and holding firm against the wind whipped up by the swarm.

Then, everything changed in a heartbeat.

Volcarona's wings ceased flapping slowly and flared out as far as it could push them. They didn't visibly seem to be moving, but were actually vibrating faster than could be seen by the human eye.

Nor did Volcarona seem to make a sound to human ears. For Cynthia, Cameron and Iris, it may as well have just floated frozen mutely in the sky, its glowing eyes the only sign of life.

But to the Yanma, whose ears could detect the frequency Volcarona had carefully produced, it was pure, burning agony given aural form.

The effect was immediate and obvious. The swarm scattered across the area in all directions, a few heading back into the forest, apparently more fearful of Volcarona and the baleful noise it had emitted than whatever had scared them in the first place. The furious wind that they had brought with them dissipated, and the day seemed as it had been before.

Except with the absence of Ash, Cilan and Dawn from the group.

"That was amazing, thanks Volcarona." Cameron told it as it fluttered back down to re-join them. He held out its ball to return it, but it shook its head, waving a wing in the direction of the sun. "Ah, sure, you can stay out and enjoy it." Volcarona buzzed on a frequency that they could hear and began to flap its wings slowly, but quietly, to hover next to the group.

"Wonder what had them spooked so badly…" Cynthia muttered.

Iris ran over to the side of the path and stared into the deep tall grass that the others had disappeared into. Axew burst out of her hair and began to sob for the missing trio and their Pokémon. Cynthia walked next to her and put a hand on her shoulder to forestall her from trying to follow them again.

"We can't go into there, it's practically a maze, unless we cut down half the grass to find them. We probably won't be able to see them from above either." She reasoned to Iris.

"But then how will we find them?"

"Look over there, in the distance." Cameron pointed to where the forest met the tall grass below to the left. "That looks like it's a way to enter the forest from inside the grass. If they're going to make it out of there, I'll bet that if we head that way too, we should meet them around that area."

"Hope you're right…" Iris murmured, consoling Axew in her arms as they set off again.

* * *

"Why, why, why does this always happen to us?"

"It doesn't always happen to us, Ash. We don't_ always_ get separated from each other." Cilan pointed out.

"Yeah, but it still happens a lot, and it's seriously annoying!"

"Well, I'm sure that the others will work out that we made it into the forest and will meet up with us soon." Dawn patted him on the back.

"Yeah, yeah…"

Their respective falls off the path had landed them fairly close together, though they only discovered this after the swarm had subsided. The tall grass was bent over at the top, providing a thick canopy that had been painful to fall through, but rolling down the hill into it had been less so than falling from a height into it probably would have been. The hill had, indeed, been misleadingly far above the actual ground.

It was however impenetrable to the human eye on both sides, which made signalling the other three problematic.

It might have been less so had they come up with the idea of sending up a flying Pokémon to scout sooner. Ash thought of the plan, but had sent Unfezant to Professor Juniper's laboratory, and so had no such Pokémon to send. By the time he met up with Dawn, who sent Togekiss using Air Slash up immediately, Cynthia, Iris and Cameron were nowhere to be seen.

So, upon meeting up with Cilan shortly after, they set off in the direction of the forest through the tall grass, reaching it five minutes later. Dawn recalled Togekiss at this point, reasoning that there would be no point sending her off to probably get lost in the densely packed woodland.

And then they spent nearly another five minutes staring apprehensively at the entrance to the forest. Well, Cilan and Dawn stared. Ash merely became increasingly annoyed at their hesitancy.

"Doesn't look very safe." Dawn worried.

"I wonder what made the Yanma swarm like that." Cilan mused.

"All right, that's enough." Ash cried, exasperated. "I'm going in to find the others." He set off with Pikachu tailing behind, and Meloetta floating along as usual. Cilan and Dawn exchanged a glance and then followed them.

They walked through the gaps in between the trees, given that there was no existing road. Little light made it through the trees to the ground below, and so they had to move carefully to avoid tripping on giant roots in the perpetual twilight. Small insects buzzed around, but they saw no Pokémon.

They walked for another ten minutes, and by the end of that time simply sat down in the first clearing that they found, accepting that they were lost. The clearing allowed a little more sunlight than the rest of the forest normally offered, and it took a little time for their eyes to adjust to it.

"Well, now what?" Ash went ahead and put forward what was on each of their minds.

"We're going to be lost in this forest forever!" Dawn wailed. _Although_, she mentally added_, I guess being lost with Ash forever wouldn't be__** too**__ bad._

"Hmm… Hush for a second, guys." Cilan requested. They complied, and he cocked his head to the side, listening again.

"What?" Ash asked, confused.

"Can you hear that?"

"Oh no… Not the Yanma again?" Dawn asked fearfully.

"No, it sounds different… It sounds like rushing water." Cilan's face lit up. "Yes, definitely! I'll bet there's a stream that way!" He pointed out into the darkening forest, and started running in the specified direction.

"Hey, wait for us!" Dawn yelled as she and Ash followed him.

* * *

On the other side of the forest, actually sticking to the path, Cynthia, Iris and Cameron were technically less lost than Ash, Cilan and Dawn, but functionally may have been more so. Sure, they had the path to follow, but it was taking them no closer to those that they sought – sometimes, it seemed to be taking them further away.

This aggrieved Iris to no end.

At least they could see. That was probably of some use.

Not that Iris cared.

"We need to get off the path and go back towards them!" She shouted for the umpteenth time, earning another sigh from the champion and former champion walking in front of her.

"I told you already, if we go off the path we could be _endlessly _lost." Cameron explained slowly and patronisingly. "We just need to hope that the path brings us back towards them."

"Don't patronise me, I'm not a kid!" Iris certainly wasn't as oblivious as Ash seemed to be. "If we stick to it the chance that we'll actually find them will be pretty much zero!"

"And even if we don't we'll have no chance that way either! If we follow your plan, we may never leave the forest!"

"Enough, guys." Cynthia begged. "Let's just stick to the path until we reach the end or we find some evidence that they're off it. If we reach the end without them, we can double back."

They walked in silence for a little while after, but it didn't last long.

"Uggh, this humidity is just disgusting!" Iris moaned.

"Pfft, get used to it." Cameron snapped back.

They glared daggers at each other.

"Okay, okay." Cynthia stepped in, noting that they seemed to be coming closer to parting ways on acrimonious terms. She flicked a stray strand of her own hair out of her hair, which was also beginning to feel the effects of the humidity. "Tell you what, I'll send a Pokémon up to scout from above." She pulled out a Poké ball. "Braviary, battle dance!"

The Valiant Pokémon emerged from its ball, flapping its wings slowly to keep it aloft without disturbing the humans, Volcarona and Axew below. It ruffled its feathers and awaited a command from its trainer.

"When did you catch a Braviary?" quizzed Cameron, surprised at the newcomer.

"A while back." Cynthia answered. "Braviary, I need you to look for three other people; one has a Pikachu as a partner, and one has a Piplup. If you find them, come back to us on this path and lead us to them."

Braviary nodded its understanding and, beating its powerful wings, took off above the treeline.

The three then continued on the path, hoping that it would return soon with good news.

* * *

The stream was deeper into the forest than Cilan had anticipated, and it took them almost another ten minutes to find it, though the sound of the rushing water increased in volume with every step.

Dawn was about to wonder aloud whether it could simply be a mirage – or whatever the equivalent for the realm of sound was – when they reached the edge of the treeline once more and emerged into a long, extensive clearing.

The clearing had no canopy above it, allowing for the stream to effectively separate two halves of the forest with its presence.

The current of the rushing water was weak, and so posed no threat of being dragged away by Pokémon or people swimming in it.

"This must be where the Pokémon in the forest come to drink when they need it!" Cilan realised.

"Perfect, I could use a drink." Dawn panted, having exerted herself a little too much keeping up with the forest. The three trainers bent down and began scooping up the clear water, joined by Pikachu. Meleotta dropped her invisibility and floated down to join them. Ash let out Oshawott, who dived into the water with Piplup to play and refresh.

The resumed sunlight was also a welcome boon to the weary, darkness dazed group.

Cilan looked up to the right as he finished drinking and noticed something; two shapes along the bank. One appeared to be pink, small, round and moving; the other larger, of darker colouration and did not appear to be shifting at all.

"Look over there!" He started running again towards the shapes, followed by Ash and, cantankerously, by Dawn.

"Not more running…"

The shapes turned out to be Pokemon. Specifically…

"Aahhh!" Ash screeched. "A Jigglypuff!"

"Hey, look, a Yanmega too!" Dawn noted.

"Wow… I've never seen either; they're pretty rare around this region." Cilan explained.

"Well, Jessie from Team Rocket had a Yanmega in Sinnoh, and there was a rude coordinator who used a Jigglypuff there too called Ursula."

The Jigglypuff suddenly noticed them, and waved at them frantically, indicating that they should come closer. Cilan and Dawn started to do so.

"Stay back!" Ash practically barked, recoiling from the Jigglypuff. "Don't get near it!"

"Why not? Ash, that Yanmega looks like it could be hurt!" Cilan chastised him. The Yanmega did indeed seem to be in a bad shape.

"Come on, you're not afraid of a cute little Jigglypuff, are you Ash?" Dawn teased.

He shook his head.

"A few years back a wild Jigglypuff followed me, Brock and Misty through Kanto, Johto and even to Hoenn. It always used to put us to sleep and then draw on our faces after."

"Since Iris isn't here right now, I'll do the honours of calling you a kid." Dawn shook her head as she and Cilan approached the two Pokémon, Ash tailing behind slightly.

"What's wrong, little guy?" Cilan asked the balloon Pokémon as they reached it.

"Jiggly, Jigglypuff!" It gestured with its small arms at the Yanmega, whose laboured breathing was apparent even from afar. Now that they were closer, they could see that it would make occasional attempts to flutter its wings for flight, but constantly failed.

"Yanmega's hurt, huh?" Cilan bent down to examine the wounded bug. "Look there…" He pointed areas of its body out to Dawn and Ash – the latter from a distance - as it stirred slightly and buzzed in a way that indicated a groan. "There's a lot of damage along its back, legs and wings…" It was apparent even to their untrained eyes; one of its wings and two of its legs seemed out of shape or bent, and its back carapace seemed dented, almost having cracked under whatever pressure it had earlier – just - withstood. Cilan reached into his bag and brought out a potion, spraying across the wounded areas carefully. Yanmega tensed and shifted slightly as if trying to resist, but relaxed as it felt the potion take effect and understood what Cilan was trying to do.

"Jiggly…" Cilan and Dawn turned to look at the concerned pink Pokémon at their side.

"I think Jigglypuff was trying to help Yanmega." Cilan told Dawn.

"Ash, get out of from behind that tree, Jigglypuff isn't going to put you to sleep." Dawn ordered, annoyed at his cowardice. Ash complied, muttering something along the lines of _you don't understand_.

"I'd guess that swarm from earlier came about out of panic about what happened to Yanmega." Cilan continued.

"But what did this to Yanmega?" Dawn asked, worriedly. "Could it come back?"

During this time, Oshawott and Piplup had followed their trainers up the stream but had stayed in the water whilst the humans, Pikachu and Meloetta had interacted with Jigglypuff and Yanmega. They had, as was their usual behaviour when together, began to bicker and argue.

This distracted them from noticing slight changes to the water that they were swimming in. The force of the flow of the water began to grow stronger. It wasn't as if the actual stream itself was somehow doing so, but rather that something was swimming _towards_ them.

Caught up in their argument, they paid this little heed.

Well, until something burst out of the water, at least, throwing them onto the bank.

The trainers cried out in shock and surprise, catching the flying water Pokémon before they hit the ground. Jigglypuff and Yanmega recognised the threat; the former ran for cover behind Cilan whilst the latter, still wounded, fruitlessly tried to rise.

The torrent of water exploded and a vaguely humanoid figure leapt out to land on the other side of the stream, turning to regard them with a deep glare.

"Woah, a Golduck!" Ash exclaimed.

"I haven't seen a Golduck since we just started out in Sinnoh!" The power of Dawn's memory sometimes amazed Ash.

"You guys have seen a lot of rare Pokémon." Cilan muttered enviously as they stared at the Duck Pokémon before them. It seemed fierce, protective of its territory, and very, very angry. Not to mention larger than any Golduck that both Ash and Dawn had ever seen.

"Look at those scars!" Part of what made it so fierce-looking was a criss-cross of scars running from the right side of its head to the left side of its chest. Its muscles seemed to bulge with power and the skin around its beak was lined with age.

"Jiggly, jiggly!" Jigglypuff seemed to gain a little confidence and began shouting at the Golduck. "Puff, Jiggly jigglyuff!"

Golduck merely snorted and then growled at its accuser, who scooted behind Cilan once more.

This was apparently not a response that pleased Pikachu.

"Pika, pika! Pika pika pikaa!" Pikachu's cheeks began to spark with electricity as its frown deepened. Yanmega finally regained its flight and fluttered adeptly – albeit not entirely in a solid manner – next to Pikachu. Golduck snorted again and entered what can only be described as a preparatory stance for battle.

"Looks like it wants a fight!" Ash realised. "Oshawott, get ready!"

"You too, Piplup!" Dawn called.

Golduck just laughed at the opposition it faced this time.

A soothing sound descended upon the tense situation as Meloetta made its presence known. The melody Pokémon moved to hover above the river in between Ash's group and the Golduck as it sang its calming song. Pikachu, Oshawott, Piplup and even Yanmega and Jigglypuff were visibly affected. Golduck paused.

It then, however, proved itself to be incorrigible. Sneering, it flicked its webbed hand out towards the opposing group and, by extension, Meloetta in the way.

"Uh-" Ash started to say, then suddenly found it incredibly difficult to move his mouth.

Every being in the clearing apart from Golduck was now enveloped in a glowing blue outline, indicating the work of psychic power. Golduck seemed to concentrating as the red gem on its forehead glowed brighter, but it still was able to stare at them contemptuously.

Every being in the clearing apart from Golduck suddenly found themselves lifted into the air.

With a final snort, Golduck jerked a clawed finger upwards.

Golduck was then alone in the clearing once more, as the foes it had dismissed soared into the air, and, as soon as its psychic power fell out of range, began to fall and scream at the same time. It gave one last look around the clearing, then, satisfied, dived back into the stream.

* * *

It was at about this time – when they were flying through the air - that Cynthia's Braviary was circling the vast forest and searching for those it's trainer had asked it to find.

It had not expected to see them in the sky; that was for sure.

Overcoming its surprise, it followed the direction that they had soared and noted the position at which they had appeared to land, then flew back with great haste to the path where it had left its trainer waiting.

* * *

As it turned out, the three on the path had not moved since Braviary had begun scouting. Cynthia had reasoned that it would be easier for her Pokémon to find them if they stayed where they were, and so they sat down by the roadside to wait.

And so, the bickering had taken a turn for the worse.

By the time Braviary returned, a full-blow shouting match had erupted between the former Unova champion and the prospective dragon-master, defused by Cynthia who had separated the two. It had culminated in Iris angrily demanding why Cameron had not known about the possibility of a Yanma swarm on a route in the region that he had been champion of, and had only lowered her volume slightly upon realising that Volcarona was floating slightly closer to its trainer's head, staring innocently at her with only the slightest hint of fire wreathing its impressive wings.

Cynthia was therefore relieved at Braviary's return for more than just the fact that it _had _returned with news; it allowed them to finally move into the forest in search of their missing friends. Cameron returned Volcarona at this point, citing the lack of the presence of the sun to his disappointed Pokemon, but Braviary remained out and flew above the trio to guide from the air as well as it could.

They were certainly able to handle the forest trek better than the others, at least. Iris was obviously adept at traversing such environments. Cynthia had honed her off road skills when travelling in her pursuit of ancient history, and Cameron, despite seemingly the least competent in such matters, was still able to keep up.

* * *

It took little time, therefore, for them to reach Ash, Cilan and Dawn. Iris, who had a slight lead on the older two, burst through a particularly dense section of the forest, gave a cry of delight the presence of her friends, and tackled them down in a leaping hug.

By the time Cynthia and Cameron caught up, Iris had already been apprised of the situation regarding the concerned Jigglypuff, the still-wounded Yanmega and the bully Golduck.

Pikachu had aided in some capacity as a translator, responding to the trainers' questions with nods or shakes of the head and communicating with the two other Pokémon.

It seemed that Yanmegea had been defeated by a new, aggressive Golduck who seemed to have decided that the river was its' property; it had not been seen in the area previously. Yanmega was the Patriarch of the group of Yanma that lived in the forest, and so its defeat caused them to panic. Jigglypuff had found it sometime after and gone to its aid, and that was how the trainers had found them.

Its defeat could not be allowed to stand, because all of the Pokémon of that part of the forest depended on the water for their survival. The stream could not be hogged by a single greedy, albeit strong, Golduck.

They took some time to compose their next plan of action, during which Cynthia applied further potion to Yanmega's wounds. By the end of the conversation, it was flying as ably as it had been before it had sustained its injuries. They were unanimous over the decision that they needed to accompany the two forest natives to confront Golduck and resolve the situation; though Cameron expressed surprise at the presence of such an aggressive specimen, Iris grumbled back that he hadn't predicted the swarm either.

Eventually, it was decided that they would allow Yanmega to deal with the situation itself – and render any assistance that was required as the situation called for it. With that, now fully reunited, they set off through the forest again, with Braviary flying over to confirm the location of the stream.

* * *

When they reached the water source, they noted that Yanma were beginning to return to the trees around it once more, having finally overcome their panic.

"Maybe they were scared off when Yanmega was defeated earlier…" Cilan mused. "And are now returning because they can tell it's coming back for a rematch? It's just a theory…"

"A likely one." Cynthia confirmed. "If even one Yanma heard that Yanmega was fighting again, you can bet that the whole swarm would know."

"Yannnn." Yanmega seemed to confirm this. It was floating above their heads at about the same height as Meloetta, not that it could know this; Meloetta was, once again, invisible, somewhat shaken after Golduck's callous dismissal of her singing.

"So… How do we get Golduck to come back?" Ash pondered, gazing into the water.

"Last time it seemed to come after Piplup and Oshawott were in the water…" Dawn noted.

Yanmega flew down, skimming the surface of the stream, and lowered its head carefully as if to take a drink, but instead vibrated its mouth into the water, sending large ripples across the previously calm area.

As if on cue, the flow of the water began to increase – but far more rapidly than before.

"Here it comes…" Cilan whispered. Jigglypuff clutched his leg tightly; it seemed to have taken a liking to him.

The assembled trainers and Pokémon barely had time to register a dark shape moving through the water before, again, it burst out, splashing quantities of water onto the previously dry land as it landed on the opposite bank. Yanmega stayed stoic, but Pikachu growled, Axew went deeper into Iris' hair, and the surrounding Yanma fled deeper into the forest with a buzzing that cut out very quickly.

Golduck looked out at its challenger again and practically guffawed at seeing that Yanmega had returned. Yanmega didn't do restrain itself this time, however, and vibrated its wings extremely quickly; a Bug Buzz designed to generate targeted pain instead of merely intimidate an area at a different frequency as Volcarona had performed earlier.

Golduck clutched its ears and fell to one knee in pain. Yanmega stopped buzzing.

"Yannnnn… Yanmega Yann!" It seemed to the human trainers that Yanmega was doing the equivalent of taunting Golduck, something that its reaction agreed with.

Pushing itself up off the ground, Golduck ran at the hovering Yanmega and attempted to use Slash, but Yanmega swiftly increased its height to dodge the attack.

Golduck repeated the attack, and Yanmega simply dodged again. And again. And again.

"Golduck looks like it's getting tired out, but if anything Yanmega just looks like it's getting faster!" Iris observed.

"That's Yanmega's Speed Boost." Cilan told her. "The longer this battle goes on, the faster Yanmega will get! Golduck won't be able to keep up much longer."

"All right! Keep it up Yanmega!" Ash yelled in encouragement.

After dodging a particularly inaccurate swipe of claws, Yanmega went back on the offensive with an Air Slash, knocking the Duck Pokémon off its feet.

"You've got him now, Yanmega!"

Golduck's eyes widened as it heard Ash's cheer and a cunning grin spread across its face. It sprang back up and fired off a huge blast of water towards Yanmega, which it barely dodged. The spray carried on towards the spectators, narrowly missing them and hitting a tree, but still managing to drench Ash with the impact dispersion – and dislodging a number of Yanma from the tree, who were knocked out by their sudden fall.

"That Hydro Pump got a little too close for comfort!" Cameron cried.

Yanmega paused in its attacks and gazed at Golduck again, worried by the look in its eyes, before glancing back at the trainers, and the vulnerable Yanma on the ground.

It suddenly understood what Golduck was planning.

It began moving too late to stop Golduck from launching another Hydro Pump, this time unerringly accurate towards the unsuspecting group.

It made no attempt to stop the attack, only to _intercept _it; first with an Air Slash to weaken it, and then, because that failed, its own body.

The attack – and the resulting explosion – happened so quickly that none of the group knew what occurred until it was over.

When the smoke from the clashing attacks faded, Golduck stood triumphantly on top of Yanmega, who was clinging on to consciousness on the floor. There was a sudden, fearful buzzing from the fearful Yanma cowering in the surrounding trees.

"Yanmega!"

"No! You can't give up!"

Ash and Dawn's cries only served to amuse Golduck, proud of its own cleverness. At least until another Pokémon's voice joined in.

"Jiggly!" The balloon Pokémon broke ranks from behind the cover of Cilan to stand on the edge of the bank opposite Golduck and the wounded Yanmega. "Jiggly, jiggly! Jigglypuff, Jiggly!" It continued on as such for a while. To the trainers, it seemed to be ranting at Golduck.

Golduck wasn't smiling any more. It lifted a claw and Jigglypuff was lifted into the air, enveloped in psychic power. It stared, afraid, at the contorted face of the concentrating Golduck.

Behind it, five trainers went for their Poké balls, and Ash raised a hand to order Pikachu to attack.

Yanmega lifted its head to look at Jigglypuff, its body still pinned beneath Golduck's foot.

It remembered how Jigglypuff had tried to aid it earlier, and saw how scared it was now.

It remembered how Golduck had callously attacked young, defenceless Yanma before, and tried to again not even a minute before.

It decided that enough was enough.

With a rallying cry – mostly for its own benefit – it vibrated its water clogged wings fast enough to clear the moisture and generate another Bug Buzz, forcing Golduck away, and flew to hover next to Jigglypuff as Golduck took a step back, stuuned; the balloon Pokémon was now free of the psychic onslaught as Golduck's concentration was broken.

"Yes! Good work, Yanmega!" Ash yelled, and the others cheered too.

Golduck snarled, regaining its focus, and prepared to launch another Hydro Pump. Yanmega never gave it the chance. It buzzed again and, concentrating hard, ripped rocks from the ground and smashed them into Golduck, doing so repeatedly until the Duck Pokémon fell into the water with a pained yelp. The gathering of trainers and Pokémon watched as the shape underwater fled downstream, away from the place – hopefully forever.

"Wow, that was an amazing AncientPower!" Cilan gasped, awestruck.

Yanmega gave a triumphant buzzing of its wings and was joined in the action by every Yanma nearby – previously an annoyance, now an appropriate accompaniment to the cheering of the trainers and other Pokémon below.

* * *

When they said their goodbyes to Yanmega later, it was mid-afternoon, and they were through that part of the forest. After a complicated translation session using Pikachu and many nods and shakes of the head, they had realised that Yanmega was offering to guide them through what it knew of the area in return for the healing and encouragement that they had given it earlier – an offer that they gladly accepted.

"Goodbye, Yanmega!"

"Take care!"

"Look after the others! Oh, Jigglypuff!" Cilan started, noticing the pink Pokémon tugging at its leg. "What's up, little guy?"

Yanmega buzzed one last time as the others waved, then flew off to return to its swarm. It already knew what Jigglypuff intended, and had already said its goodbyes and given its thanks to its friend.

Jigglypuff pointed at one of the minimized Poké balls at Cilan's belt, and then at itself.

"You want to come with me? Well, of course, we'd be delighted to have you! The kindness that you demonstrated earlier is a true example of the flavour of friendship!" Jigglypuff beamed as Cilan unclipped an empty ball and tossed it.

Ash tried to voice his objections, but was too late. The ball locked, and Jigglypuff was caught.

"All right! Now we're even, Iris. I've got a rare Pokémon too!" He declared, gazing happily at the ball.

* * *

They walked on for a while, but eventually set up camp for the night right at the end of Route Fourteen, the forest having long disappeared over the horizon behind them. Iris questioned Dawn about Ash's curious reaction to Jigglypuff's capture earlier, and Dawn happily told her what Ash had revealed on the river bank at their first encounter.

Iris found the resulting knowledge absolutely hilarious and proceeded to tease Ash about it for half the night.

Indeed, the teasing only ceased because Ash had the opportunity to get some payback; included in which was revenge for her prank at the start of the morning involving the bathroom door.

He had managed to persuade Cameron – when Iris went off to get some firewood – to lend Volcarona for the action. The former champion readily agreed, having spent half the day arguing with Iris himself.

Volcarona received its instructions and went off to enjoy the last rays of sunlight as Iris returned and the taunting resumed.

Just as the spectators in the group were beginning to think that Iris was pushing it, Ash played his trump, signalling discreetly to the recently returned Volcarona.

Axew, fortunately for Ash's conscience, was not actually on Iris' person at the time.

"I mean, really, though, Ash, scared of a_ Jigglypuff_? I knew you were a kid, but…" Iris babbled on, repeating herself for perhaps the fiftieth time, unaware of Volcarona's presence _right _behind her and_ right_ above her. It tensed for a moment, and then emitted a buzzing_ very_ similar to the droning that the Yanma had produced much earlier in the day.

Iris screamed. Axew looked confused. Every other trainer burst out laughing. Ash gave Volcarona a grateful pat on the head, careful to avoid its flaming hot wings.

Iris proceeded to remain silent for the rest of the evening, though, in a spontaneous moment of maturity, Ash did later go to apologise to her – and, in a similarly unusual reciprocation, she apologised for her earlier behaviour too.

Mulling the events over as he climbed into his sleeping bag, Ash decided that it had been a pretty good day.

_Let's just hope that finding a home for Meloetta and going to Kanto ends up going this well…_

* * *

_Their arrival is heralded by the deafening hum of ten thousand wings. Their departure is marked by the silence of the dead._

_- Devouring Swarm (M12)_


	6. Trek

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Thanks for the review Nauran. I can understand how the style's differing a lot; I'm trying to experiment in the hopes of finding a style I like as I haven't really ever had a proper style when writing Fanfiction before, particularly as I've never written one this long before. We're barely in yet and this is already my longest story ever. Hopefully, consistency will come after that, but if you're saying that the jump between prologues gets a bit jarring, I might consider rewriting to rectify it. I think it might be down to the lack of dialogue in the first prologue; I wrote that a lot drawing on things I've learned in philosophy far more than I did in English over the past few years.

As for Chapter 5, yeah, I was going for the episodic feel with it, so it's good to hear it turned out like that. As for the Pearlshipping? The hints were intended, but I won't say anything more about what kinds of shipping might go on for fears of accidentally spoiling. I wouldn't worry about any kind of shipping taking over the story however; Venatus will mainly stick to Adventure and maybe Mystery a little, far more than it will for romance… At least for a while. Particularly as I've still got plenty more characters to introduce, and plenty more things to show along the way.

Thanks again for your review, I really appreciate it.

* * *

It took the group another day to reach the end of Route Fourteen. It was actually one of the shorter routes compared to some of the others that Ash, Cilan and Iris had traversed in their trek across Unova for Ash's gym badges, but, in stark contrast to what normally occurred during their journey, very little actually happened that day.

Ash could be overheard at one point muttering that a day of travelling might finally pass for him without his group being side-tracked, diverted or otherwise distracted from their overall goal, and that it might be the first time in years that he could actually recognise that feat as occurring.

Having finished the forest trek the day before, they set the first half of the morning hiking across rough ground, a situation which aggrieved Iris more than a little, as she had managed to get little sleep the night before for no apparent reason, and was finding it difficult to walk carefully while yawning every few steps. The terrain had yet to be caught up in the urban sprawl that so characterised much of the rest of Unova.

Indeed, what set Unova apart from other regions the most was not its comparatively "rare" and "exotic" varieties of Pokémon, but the very different way that the region could be seen to exist with its surroundings.

The other large regions that Ash had travelled through in the past – Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh – all tended to focus on traditional values and attitudes towards life, Pokémon and community. Towns and cities had been normally dotted around the countryside, often separated by rural land with varying levels of development.

In Unova it seemed that the reverse was true. Industrialisation was the norm for much of the region, particularly in Western and Central Unova; best demonstrated by Castelia City, Nimbasa city and Driftveil City. The people thrived on efficiency – sometimes at the cost of simplification – and traditional values were often thrown by the wayside. Construction projects, spurred on by the success of the magnificent bridges connecting the region, were taking place with greater frequency, and straying into places that they had previously never reached. Within two years, it was estimated, an underwater tunnel would connect Undella Town and Seigaiha City in the northeast via Undella Bay, saving the difficulty of navigating the treacherous mountain ranges that had yet to be tamed – but that was one more challenge to be conquered down the road. _Eventually._

Such ambitious plans were so far nigh-on unthinkable outside Unova, with the exception of the Kanto-Johto Magnet train.

Of course, there were exceptions, and such is the problem with sweeping generalisations. Opelucid City, for example, was known for its stubborn refusal to modernise more than was strictly necessary, and this set it closer to, say, Sinnoh's Celestic Town than a metropolis in the vein of Castelia City, and the other regions possessed their own equivalents to the latter in the form of Celadon or Goldenrod.

But the rampant urbanisation of much of Unova still did contrast so heavily with Route Fourteen's… _wildness._

It felt _untamed _when they were forced to cross a raging river with the aid of their Pokémon, eschewing the use of stepping stones that looked fatally slippery.

It felt _uncultivated _when they found that the path – if it could legitimately be termed as such – grew steeper and steeper, eventually culminating in a hill that granted a splendid view of the way that they had already come, the forest poking out on the horizon behind them, and an equally magnificent view of the way that they would yet go, the stretching out of sight for miles.

At least, it was splendid until they realised that there was no way to climb down safely; the hill simply dropped on one side, as Cilan abruptly found out as he nearly fell clean off. The group once more relied on their Pokémon for safe transport down to a less elevated level once again. Dragonite was more than happy by this point to give Iris a lift, whilst Cynthia and Cameron used Braviary and Jellicent respectively; the latter disembarking quickly, given how annoyed his Pokémon seemed to be getting at having to help with such a function. Togekiss supported Dawn's weight.

Because they had either switched out their flying type – or at least a Pokémon that could float and support their weight - to Professor Juniper or simply did not own any, Ash and Cilan were forced to wait for Braviary and Togekiss to return. Their trainers took their time to send them off again, and the Pokémon subsequently – eventually - returned with two thoroughly bored trainers.

The lesson seemed to sink in, at least. Ash resolved never to leave a Pokémon centre without a flying type in his party ever again, and Cilan swore to catch one as soon as possible.

They set up camp in a sizeable space not long after for lunch, as the sun reached its zenith in the sky and walking further without sustenance became uncomfortable to say the least. Having six people in the group meant that a lot more food – and space – was required, and so they took turns sending out their Pokémon during the time that they were there. Cilan and Cynthia collaborated to prepare both the Pokémon food and the food for the trainers, and the others helped when they were needed. The end result was hardly pretty, but was as nutritious as any of Cilan's creations and more than fit for purpose.

The quantity produced and consumed was always rather outstanding, but travelling Pokémon trainers knew to eat well when they could… and be prepared and willing to be hungry most of the time.

They didn't set off straight away after eating, because Cilan had a proposition to make.

"Hmm, Ash, how about a Pokémon battle? It's been a while since you and I have had a chance to go head to head, and I want to see what kind of flavour Jigglypuff can produce."

"That's a great idea!" Ash agreed immediately. "But let's make it two-on-two so that we can give more of our Pokémon a go!"

* * *

Having checked with the others – and confirmed with Meloetta – that there was still no need to hurry and that they could take a little time out, they found a space suitable for the battle. Cynthia offered to referee, and the others spectated.

"The Pokémon battle between Ash and Cilan will now commence. Each trainer may use up to two Pokémon each, and may switch their active Pokémon at any time." Cynthia announced.

"All right, Jigglypuff, you're up!" Cilan chose first.

Jigglypuff burst out of the ball in a flash of blue light, stretched and waved a pink arm happily at its trainer.

Ash pondered for a moment and then tossed a ball out.

"Snivy, I choose you!"

Snivy emerged and stared briefly at its opponent, having never seen a Jigglypuff, then shrugged and awaited its trainers' command.

"Don't get too scared of little old Jigglypuff, Ash!" Iris shouted from the sidelines. She was holding Pikachu, so Ash figured he'd try to get a little revenge…

"Pikachu, shock her for me, will you?" The yellow mouse refused to comply, and accepted a small ketchup packet from Iris in return. "Traitor…" Ash grumbled, and then signified to Cynthia that he was ready.

"You may now begin!" Cynthia declared.

"I'll let you have the first attack, Cilan." Ash wanted to see what Jigglypuff could do early on to be in a better position to counter it later.

"Why thank you, Ash! Jigglypuff, use Rollout!"

Jigglypuff curled into a ball and surged towards Snivy.

"Dodge it!"

Taking advantage of having superior speed, Snivy leapt out of the way just in time. Jigglypuff stopped at the other end of the battle field and giggled its name happily, seemingly without a care in the world.

"Now use Vine Whip!"

Snivy extended the vines out from between its shoulders and neck and launched them at Jigglypuff. The balloon Pokémon was nowhere near quick enough to dodge, and took the hits with a little visible damage, as well as being staggered slightly by the impact.

"Rollout again, Jigglypuff!"

"Stop it with Attract!" Ash cried.

With a wink, Snivy launched the hearts out to hit Jigglypuff dead-on, not that it was in any position to dodge them. Jigglypuff ground to a halt and uncurled, its' eyes consumed by the tell-tale heart shape.

"Well, now we know that Jigglypuff's male, I guess." Cilan sighed. "Return!" He said, recalling Jigglypuff.

"So soon?" Ash teased.

"For now." Cilan smiled. He picked out another ball and tossed it, sending out Stunfisk.

"That's an interesting choice." Dawn commented at the side. "Surely Stunfisk won't be able to do much to Snivy…"

"Stunfisk, use Camouflage, quickly!" Cilan ordered.

Stunfisk tensed in concentration, then began glowing.

"Quick, Snivy, Leaf Storm before it finishes!" Ash yelled, realising the danger. Snivy span around and hurled the leaves at Stunfisk with a whirl, but was not quick enough to hit Stunfisk before it finished its Camouflage. The attack impacted, but did very little damage; Stunfisk simply shrugged it off with its temporary grass typing.

"All right! Now, spray Scald in a wide area!" Cilan cried. Stunfisk took a deep breath and shot forth a large quantity of boiling hot water in an arc in front of it. Snivy attempted to avoid it, but took too much of the attack and was knocked to the floor.

"That looked like a water attack, surely that can't have hurt Snivy too much?" Dawn asked, confused.

"It probably didn't, but Scald can also burn the target too." Iris explained. Cameron nodded.

Sure enough, Snivy was scorched and appeared to be nursing the continuous pain of a burn, which put Ash on the clock, effectively; and he certainly knew it. The burn would hamper Snivy's physical attacks, and Leaf Storm, having hit once, would be weaker if used again.

"Quick, Snivy, Attract!" Ash said hurriedly.

Snivy prepared another barrage of hearts and launched them towards Stunfisk on the ground.

_On the ground…_

"Stunfisk, glide to avoid it and Mud Bomb!" Cilan yelled triumphantly.

"Glide?" Dawn's confusion turned to wonder as Stunfisk took to the air, flapping its "wings" to briefly stay aloft and evade the Attract. "Oh, wow!"

Stunfisk glided as high as it could and then spat a chunk of mud at Snivy, who, still shocked at Stunfisk's impressive manoeuvre, had no opportunity to avoid it. The burn did the rest.

"Snivy is unable to battle!" Cynthia declared. Ash recalled Snivy, praising her for what she had managed, and chose his next Pokémon.

Krokorok burst out of its Poké ball with a roar, clipped on its sunglasses and stood with its arms crossed, its' gaze firmly on Stunfisk.

"Quick, Krokorok, Crunch, let's go!" Ash wasted no time giving a command, and Krokorok wasted no time in executing it. It blitzed towards the just-landed Stunfisk and chomped down as hard as it could. The sheer power of the attack knocked Stunfisk out, and the way it was unceremoniously tossed towards Cilan afterwards hardly helped its condition either.

"That was some impressive flavour, Ash, I'll give you that!" Cilan admitted, recalling the unconscious Trap Pokémon. Krokork stood in its normal mocking pose, sunglasses glinting in the light. "But let's see what Jigglypuff can do this time!" He sent out the balloon Pokémon again, who waved at him once more, the Attract having worn off when it was inside the ball.

"Not if I can help it. Hit it with Stone Edge, now!" Krokorok summoned sharp rocks around its hands and hurled them at Jigglypuff.

"Dodge it and use Sing!" Jigglypuff obeyed, leaping and floating for a brief moment to avoid the stony onslaught. It landed and took a deep breath…

"Aahh!" Ash jumped and looked in horror at his pink opposition. "Quick, everyone cover your ears!" He cried, doing as he said. Taking no chances, Cameron, Cynthia and Dawn did the same.

Jigglypuff began singing a calming tune in the direction of Krokorok.

"Oh, please, Ash, don't be such a…" Iris nearly finished her sentence, but suddenly felt extremely drowsy, and decided to take a nap there and then to alleviate her tiredness. Pikachu had done as Ash had suggested; Piplup followed its trainer's example, and Axew was protected by Iris' bushy hair.

Meloetta had no such protection, and fell out of the air above Iris, her invisibility wearing off as she began to snooze. Dawn went to her aid immediately after Jigglypuff stopped singing.

"I hate that attack." Ash looked over the battlefield and realised that Krokorok was fast asleep, slumped over slightly as it snored, its sunglasses slipping off its face. "C'mon you've got to wake up!"

"I think we'll help you there, Ash!" Cilan grinned and gave a mock bow. He removed a pair of discreet plugs from his ears. "Use Wake-Up Slap!" Stubby arms glowing with power, Jigglypuff took its time walking up to Krokorok as Ash begged it to awaken. Jigglypuff reached back and gave it a full force slap across the face, knocking it to the ground, now very much awake but also very dazed. "Yes! Wake-Up Slap as a fighting type move will easily overpower a part-dark type such as Krokorok, and becomes doubled in power if that target was asleep at the time."

"Krokorok, can you still fight?" Ash asked, a received a shaky, tentative growl of affirmation as Krokorok staggered to its feet. It adjusted its sunglasses again and resumed its previous pose. "All right, let's see if we can overpower it! Crunch!" The Desert Croc Pokémon bared its glowing fangs and rushed with what strength it had remaining at Jigglypuff.

"Just what I've been waiting for! Now that it can't dodge, use Rollout!" Cilan was completely correct, unfortunately for Ash; Krokorok was too preoccupied with attacking to avoid the incoming pink ball, and it collided with the ground/dark type's belly and pushed it far back towards Ash, almost on its knees with pain at this point.

"Krokorok, no!" Ash cried.

"Let's finish this, shall we?" Cilan gave a dramatic twirl that was replicated amusingly by his Pokémon. "Rollout, one more time!"

Given its current state, Krokorok had no chance of dodging the oncoming attack, and took the increased power across the stomach again, knocking it clean out.

"Krokorok is unable to battle." Cynthia called out, raising a hand in Cilan's direction. "Jigglypuff and Cilan are the winners!"

"You did a great job, Krokorok, get some rest now." Ash returned his Pokémon to its Poke ball, and looked over to Cilan, who was hugging Jigglypuff tightly; a motion that the Pokémon was returning.

"You were amazing, just brilliant!" Cilan praised, and Jigglypuff giggled happily. "I've never seen such cute yet powerful flavour!"

"It really was!" Dawn gushed, having run over after the battle. Cameron and Cynthia were carefully checking over Iris, who had yet to wake up.

"Yeah, that was a great battle, Cilan." Ash smiled.

"Maybe if you have a few more battles later, you'll be able to get you over your irrational fear of Jigglypuff?" Dawn suggested sweetly, with only the barest hint of mocking detectable in her voice. Ash muttered something uncharitable about microphones and stalking Pokémon under his breath.

Cameron walked over and praised them for the battle. He pointed to Iris, and said that while it was unusual that she had yet to wake up, she should do so soon; she was probably just tired, having slept so little the night before. Ash suggested that Jigglypuff use Wake-Up Slap on her, but Cameron demurred.

* * *

As it was, Iris took _three hours_ to wake up, and declared the experience to have been the best nap of her life. She did so without realising the not-so-subtle marker pen drawings on her face, courtesy of Ash, but did notice the giggles of the rest of the group, and put two and two together pretty quickly. Dawn in particular was a giveaway.

The delay was advantageous insofar as it allowed the group a chance to heal Stunfisk, Jigglypuff, Snivy and Krokorok using the never-ending supply of potions that Cilan and Cynthia together seemed to possess. It also allowed them the chance to check the various maps that Cilan had downloaded of the area around Route Fourteen in an attempt to plot their destination, and try to reaffirm their bearings.

The delay was disadvantageous for reasons twofold.

First, it meant that they were set more than three hours behind on schedule for the trip, as they were forced to witness Iris' brief attempts to take revenge on Ash – and then her extended attempts to find a running stream to wash her face off with. Failing that, she sought one of the group's water Pokémon. Ash was hiding, so Oshawott was a no-go. She asked Cameron for Jellicent's help, but he reminded her that having Scald used on her would probably not improve the situation. It eventually culminated in her asking Piplup to use Hydro Pump, which Dawn finally agreed to.

Second, the various maps that Cilan had downloaded were problematic because they all seemed to disagree rather heavily on the layout of the area that they would be heading in to. This lead to something of an argument in the group as Cameron, Cilan and Cynthia each swore by a different map. Cameron backed one because it seemed the most familiar to him judging from his previous travels in the area. Cilan rated another highly because of the judgment of a group of Map Connoisseurs he had once met at a convention somewhere, who all had great faith in the accuracy of that particular brand. Cynthia pointed out that a third had been the most accurate so far, and would be likely to continue to be.

All in all, if the battle between Ash and Cilan had a positive impact on group morale, the break after had a negative effect.

Still, after the "discussion" had been resolved, they had enough time, aided by the long length of days granted by summer, to cover good ground before the encroaching darkness forced them to set up camp once again.

Ash fell asleep quickly for once, exhausted by the need to stay ahead of Iris during the afternoon as she – jokingly? - constantly threatened violence against his person.

Iris fell asleep quickly too, having exerted herself chasing after Ash.

Dawn stayed awake a little while longer, and then was consumed by dreams of victory in a grand festival – she couldn't remember which, in the morning - and the embrace of a raven-haired friend. _Maybe someday…_

Cilan drifted off, delighting in the dual cuteness and battle prowess of his new capture. _What wonderful flavour indeed…_

Cameron was just about to fall asleep when, rolling over in his sleeping bag, he somehow accidentally sent out Jellicent. Woken by its quiet droning hum, he chased around the Floating Pokémon, half-asleep himself, until it turned out that it was _sleepwalking, _and avoiding his pleas for it to return as though it was in a battle dodging an enemy. Fortunately, it awoke before it started to counterattack, and before anyone else woke up.

Cynthia's sleep began in the throes of a nightmare; her dismissal as a champion on trumped up charges. It turned around after she managed to get revenge on each of the board members, all of it non-violent and all the more sweeter to her for it. Not that she remembered any of it in the morning.

Pikachu dreamed of ketchup. Piplup dreamed of Meloetta.

Meloetta dreamed of saying goodbye to Ash, and it was nothing else but a nightmare.

* * *

Meanwhile, as they rested, so too did their unknown pursuers.

Well, unknown in the sense that the group did not _know _they were being pursued. They certainly _would_ have known the identity of their pursuers if that if they had been aware at all.

The Team Rocket trio took turns keeping watch; one observed the twerps as the other two slept; first Meowth, then James, then Jessie.

The hunt was almost over, and things had gone so well; so closely to plan so far.

* * *

The group set off the next morning mostly rested, refreshed and restored. They had managed to reach a more mountainous area the night before, which Cameron described as being moderately contoured with moisture. Cynthia translated blithely to the others that he was referencing the many waterfalls and precipices that practically littered the area.

The morning of that day was spent crossing these obstacles, the path once again being effectively none existence, leading to a great deal of complaining from Dawn in particular. The sun was mercifully less oppressive now than it had been the day before, especially given their proximity to such imposing sources of cool water, and so they were able to walk faster than the previous day without becoming as easily tired.

Still, by midday, they were all thoroughly tired out and relieved to find that the last of the elevated terrain was behind them, and that they had reached the beginning of the end of their Unovan journey – known to the maps and locally as the White Forest.

They rested at the entrance for a time, taking the opportunity to feed themselves and the Pokémon. There was no repeat of yesterday's battle, as they were too focused on completing their goal now that they were so close to doing so.

Upon finishing, the six trainers, Pikachu, Piplup and Axew – with Meloetta hovering above – assembled just before the treeline.

"All right, this is it." Cilan brandished the map on his tablet that they had decided was the most accurate the day before. "Not many people come here, and the all of the maps are rather sketchy on exactly how the forest goes. However, all of them agree, as do all of the rumours I've heard, that there is a cave inside the forest that, eventually leads out to a plateau with its own ecosystem that has somehow escaped aerial mapping. We can't be sure what this cave or this plateau look like, but they should exist, and that's where Meloetta should be able to live safely, away from whoever was chasing it." He finished.

"Great!" Ash turned to smile at Meloetta. "Hear that, Meloetta? We're really close to your new home!"

Meloetta gave a half-grateful, half-worried cry, and vanished as it always did.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Iris shouted, giving neither Ash, nor anyone else, any chance to be puzzled at Meloetta's muted reaction. "Let's go!" She went to run forward into the forest, but Cynthia held her back.

"Not so fast." Cynthia said, her face level compared to Iris' quizzical expression. "We need to stick together here, otherwise there's a very good chance of getting separated and lost for a long time, especially in case aerial reconnaissance isn't going to work for whatever reason."

Indeed, the trees did not appear to block the view from above with a canopy as Yanmega's forest had generally done, but if the inner plateau was protected by something, perhaps the forest could be to. _No sense risking it._ Cynthia thought.

"Agreed. Do the maps say anything about what Pokémon can we find here, Cilan?" Cameron queried. Cilan flicked the tablet on again and checked for the details.

"And you said you've travelled here before." Iris teased.

"I skipped this part, went back to Undella after leaving the last forest." He grumbled. "I'm in for as much as a surprise as everyone else."

"It doesn't specify." Cilan finally answered. "There could be no Pokémon there, or there could be any Pokémon there."

"Well, let's take a look." Ash decided.

The others agreed, and, together, they walked boldly through the treeline and into the forest.

* * *

The naming of the White Forest is not mere coincidence. Indeed, naming conventions across all of the regions for caves and forests tend to be simple, descriptive and memorable.

The Dark Cave on Johto's Route Thirty-One, for example, requires an outside source of illumination to be easily navigated. Hoenn's Granite Cave is famous for the abundance of the eponymous stone that can be found in its depths.

There are, of course, exceptions, and Sinnoh's Eterna Forest is one of the more striking, designed to convey the importance of Time, and especially Dialga's dominion of it, that the natives hold so dear.

The White Forest is_ not_ one of those exceptions, however, and its name relates to the colouration of a specific type of tree that can be found in greater frequency as one penetrates deeper into the forest itself. The blossom of the tree is pure white, and the leaves of the tree are mostly white too, with enough chlorophyll to maintain the slightest green strip necessary to allow for the attraction of light and the process of photosynthesis.

In spring, summer and autumn this remains the same; in winter, the area becomes blanketed in a thick, deep coat of snow, fuelling either way the name;_ the White Forest._

It didn't take long for the group to discover this, but it was not the occasional fall of a branch-full of white petals that proceeded to annoy them.

The forest had, like Route Fourteen had before it, experienced a marked increase in the abundance and growth of plant life. The roots of the trees were smaller than in the previous forest, but still large enough to be problematic.

The growth also left the map out of date enough to cause problems, and there were other, more human issues too. Two hours were spent walking in one direction, only for Cilan to realise that he had been holding the tablet upside down for the better part of an hour, drawing groans and a few choice words from everyone else. Three more were spent walking in one massive circle, only realised when Iris noticed – and swore to those who would doubt her veracity – that she had seen that particular part of the forest before.

For their part and unlike before, Cameron and Cynthia did not question Cilan's map-reading, and neither did Ash, Dawn nor Iris. They all recognised that the task at hand was difficult enough given the circumstances without the confusion of input from multiple people.

"We can't have too many cooks spoiling the broth." As Cynthia put it.

Ash said that he saw no link between their current adventure and cooking, earning exasperated sighs from everyone else, including Pikachu but not Iris, who offered her traditional refrain of _Such. A. Kid._

Other than these brief stops to work out where, when or how they had gone wrong or gotten lost, they took no proper breaks. Unless they wanted to camp in the forest, which supposedly became _very _cold as the temperature dropped suddenly at night, time was now of the essence.

The afternoon dragged on to be replaced by the early evening, as the sun began to drift closer to the westward horizon and a chilling wind began to slowly rise.

It was around this time that Cilan declared, with an exhausted, yet triumphant finality, that they were only five minutes away from the cave.

This would prove to be a mistake, not because he turned out to be wrong, but instead because he _announced_ it.

* * *

Five minutes later, they reached a break in the trees. Cilan pointed past it, claiming that what they sought was merely on the other side.

Meloetta removed its invisibility, and, seemingly with all reservations gone, happily went through alongside Ash.

They found nothing but a small clearing, and a few fallen trees.

"Uh, Cilan?" Ash turned to the gobsmacked Connoisseur. "This doesn't look much like a cave to me…" Meloetta stayed close by, looking worried again.

"But but but… That's impossible!" Cilan cried. He pulled out the tablet and flicked through it frantically. Behind him, Dawn shook her head; Iris brought her palm to her face dejectedly. Cameron and Cynthia stared at the clearing curiously. "We should be right on top of it, and yet it's not here!"

"Well, maybe it's just… wrong?" Iris suggested, her patience fully worn down. "Or maybe you read it wrong!"

"Not a chance." Cilan refused to acknowledge that. "I read it wrong for five hours. For the last hour I've been completely sure about where we've been going!"

"And yet here we are." She replied, her annoyance bleeding through into her tone. "Lost again."

"Maybe it's just a bit further on?" Ash suggested, trying to keep the hope alive. He moved towards the side of the clearing that wasn't blocked by fallen trees. Cameron, Cynthia, Dawn and Iris followed him, though the champion and ex-champion lingered a little longer than the coordinator and the dragon-master to-be.

"Maybe…" Cilan stared one last time at the clearing before he ran to catch the others up. _But I was so sure…_

* * *

Ten minutes later and they had a problem. They were back at the clearing again. Iris resolved not to follow Cilan's directions again and suggested they go her way, completely the opposite way that they had been when last in the clearing. Cilan's response to her criticism was now angry too, though he still stuck with the group. Meloetta returned to being invisible, floating sadly at Ash's side.

Cameron and Cynthia again lingered at the clearing a little longer than the others.

Ten more minutes later and they were all completely baffled by their inexplicable return to the clearing. Somehow.

"This forest is mad and I am exhausted." Dawn gave evidence to her statement by promptly falling over and lying on the floor.

"It just doesn't make any sense…" Cilan groaned, as he and the others sank to the ground as well. "I was so sure…"

"Well, you completely mucked this one up, so…" Iris started without looking at him.

"Hey! I…" He tried to interrupt her.

"Guys, knock it off." Ash muttered, with a tone that matched the atmosphere; everyone was sick of the bickering now.

"Maybe… we'll just have to… give up?" Iris suggested weakly.

"What?" Ash looked at her. "What about Meloetta?"

"Well…" Iris shrugged. "Why can't Meloetta just come with us?"

"Huh?"

Meloetta emerged from invisibility with a shocked look of happiness on its face, as if this would be an acceptable alternative.

"Well, why not?" Iris continued. "I mean, I'll bet whoever's after Meloetta won't keep looking after we leave Unova, and even if they do, we'll just stop them!"

"I guess… I mean, we just never considered it as an option, but if this is completely hopeless, then…"

They stayed silent for a little while. The sky above was now almost completely dark, and so sight was hard to come by in the subsequent gloom.

Five more minutes passed as the group sat there. The cold was beginning to go from mildly chilly to shivering, aided by the strong wind blowing through the open, draughty clearing. Axew had delved fully into Iris' hair.

Ash opened his mouth to agree fully with Iris, and simply go home _with_ Meloetta. The trip had been a failure.

"You know what's unusual?" Cynthia spoke for the first time in a long while. Neither she nor Cameron had said anything since they had first arrived at the clearing.

"What?" Dawn asked, pulling her jacket around her. She hadn't worn it since coming to Unova; it was summer, after all, but now seemed like a good time to use it.

"Nowhere else in the forest have we seen trees knocked down or fallen over. Only here, and nowhere else."

That _was _unusual.

"Nowhere else have we seen a clearing either." She continued. "Not a single natural or unnatural break in the pattern of the forest. Except here."

The others were all _very_ quiet now. They sat in thought for a little while longer.

"There's something strange about this clearing." Cynthia finished, and looked at everyone else in turn, trying to make them _think._

"Well, it seems to be that no matter where we go after leaving this place, we end up back here after a while…"Ash started.

"Though we haven't tried going back." Iris reminded him.

"Yeah… So… Maybe a Pokémon lives around here, and it's protecting its territory somehow? Making us get lost?"

"Possibly… But if that's the case what can we do about it?" Dawn asked.

"If it's a mirage or another type of illusion, perhaps a Psychic-type could help dispel it?" Cameron suggested.

"A mirage…" Ash blinked. "That's it!" He said excitedly as the others turned to him. "Dawn, your Togekiss!"

"What about it?" She asked, confused.

"Back when I was travelling through Hoenn with May, Brock and Max, we met up with Misty once and visited a place called the Mirage Kingdom." He said.

Dawn felt a pang of jealousy run through her at the mention of both May and Misty, but quashed it quickly.

"Go on." She said, keeping her face neutral.

"There were many Togepi and Togetic in the kingdom, and they had something to do with maintaining the mirage that kept the kingdom hidden."

"Ah, so if the Togepi line can create mirages, maybe it can remove them as well!" She finished for him. He nodded. "Only way to find out. Togekiss, take the stage!" She tossed the ball and the Jubilee Pokémon emerged, stretching its wings and hovering above the ground.

After a few seconds, however, its face contorted as though it was suddenly under pressure, and it gave a pained cry.

"Togekiss, we think that there's some kind of illusion or mirage around this area." Dawn explained, worried by its sudden reaction to its surroundings. "Can you do anything about it, if there is one?"

Togekiss nodded, wincing. It stretched its eyes, and began to glow faintly with a white aura.

The fallen trees in front of them flickered, and were gone.

The cave stood in its place, the entrance dripping with moisture and utterly dark after a few metres inside.

Everyone gasped. Iris, who had just stood up when Togekiss had been sent out, fell over backwards with a yelp, disturbing Axew.

"You were right, Ash!" Dawn cried, smiling at him. The strain on Togekiss' face had disappeared and it was smiling as happily as it always did.

Meloetta gave a plaintive cry and fell out of the air to the ground.

"Meloetta!" Ash reacted first, followed by…

"Pika pi!"

"Pip-piplup!"

Ash ran over to Meloetta's side, cradling it in his arms as the rest of the group moved closer to examine her.

"What happened?" He asked, concern marking his face. "Come on, whatever it is, you're so close now."

At that, Meloetta started to cry.

Realisation spread over the faces of both Cameron and Cynthia. They glanced at each other.

"Meloetta… Meloetta did this." Cameron whispered.

"Yes… She created the mirage." Cynthia confirmed grimly.

Ash looked at them, shocked. The whole area suddenly seemed darker and colder.

"That can't be right! Why would Meloetta do that?" He demanded, and then turned to look at the Pokémon he was holding. Meloetta averted its eyes from his gaze, still crying.

"Pika… Pika pi…" Pikachu leapt off Ash's shoulder and tried to talk to Meloetta. "Pika… Pikachu pi?"

Meloetta gave a one word reply.

"Pika…" Pikachu pointed at Ash.

"Me?" He asked. Pikachu nodded. "What about me?"

"I'm guessing… Meloetta wanted to come with you." Cynthia suggested, as gently as she could. "It didn't want to go. That's why it created the mirage… So that we'd give up…"

"That makes sense…" Cilan nodded. "It's always stuck so close to you, Ash."

Ash had no idea what to say, and could only stare at the weeping form of the Melody Pokémon in his arms.

By the time he'd finally got the words together, it was too late.

* * *

The grappling arm was as quick as it always was. One second, Ash was holding Meloetta.

The next, Team Rocket had it in a containment jar.

"What the-"

"How?"

"You!" Ash cried, recovering from the abruptness first.

"Team Rocket!" Dawn screeched, pointing an accusing finger.

The trio stood triumphantly, just inside the entrance to the cave. Meowth was holding the jar containing Meloetta between his paws.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu began charging electricity. He still had a score to settle with Meowth after Nimbasa City.

"Sorry, twerps, but we're in a little bit of a hurry." Jessie's face twisted into the mock apology.

"Yes, we'll have to be off, the boss has a great many things planned for Meloetta." James added.

"You give Meloetta back right now, you crooks!" Iris yelled, brandishing Dragonite's Poké Ball.

"Hope ya enjoy the smoke though." Meowth replied. James took a small canister from his belt and lobbed it at the opposing trainers. It landed on the floor in between Ash and Dawn and began to spew a thick, black smoke, which soon obscured the mouth of the cave and the small area outside it.

The villains sprinted into the cave, cackling with glee over the success of their plan so far.

"Team Rocket! You won't get away with this!" Ash roared as he and the others started to cough and choke from the smoke, their vision now completely prevented.

The smoke stained the trees that it touched, their brilliant shine consumed by the inky darkness of the particles.

From the way that Team Rocket had struck and succeeded, it seemed that Ash's promise would prove to be a hollow one.

* * *

_Possession is ten-tenths of the law._

_- Master Thief, M12_


	7. Farewell

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Thanks for the compliments and review, The Straight Elf!

* * *

"Shock" would be an insufficient word to express Ash's feelings as the smoke grew to extend around the group and their Pokémon.

"Dismay" would hardly suffice either.

He was dimly aware of Cameron, then Cynthia, shouting something that carried through the smoke easily even though they were mere shapes in the obscuring, artificial darkness.

The brief rush of adrenaline he had received during the first few seconds after Team Rocket had seized Meloetta had faded as he inhaled some of the surrounding thick black cloud, and he paused too long to consider what they had done; a grand mistake, as he almost gave into uncharacteristic despair.

_It'll be hours until dawn breaks again._

_They could hide in that cave for ages given their head start._

_What if they get away?!_

_Meloetta…_

All these thoughts passed through his mind as barely a moment went by, his eyes watering and his hand over his mouth to limit the strain of coughing.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up, his reverie broken, to see Cilan, his face etched with concern and a fist covering his own mouth.

"Togekiss, blow this smokescreen away with Air Slash!"

He heard Dawn before he saw her; the rush of air easily dissipated the cloud. They stood outside the entrance to the cave, visible once more, and as serene as if no-one had passed through it only a minute before.

The smoke wasn't harmful, more annoying than anything else, but it had done its job. Team Rocket had escaped.

Ash steeled himself. He remembered the number of times that they had defeated the thieves before, often when they had seemingly faced impossible odds. He remembered that he was standing alongside five friends – four he knew very or fairly well, and one new – and that together, they could do anything.

He remembered his goal, his dream.

He remembered that hewould_ never_ give up.

"We've got to go after them!" His voice and tone betrayed nothing of the grim train of thought that had consumed his mind. He sprinted into the cave mouth, Pikachu running at his side.

There was no hesitation from the others. Any other circumstances might have allowed for caution, but they followed him boldly into the breach in the ground.

The cave was wide and the roof tall enough to allow for Togekiss to remain out of its Poké ball; it floated just behind and above its trainer, carrying Piplup on its back.

Even in daylight, the cave was extensive enough for there to be no illumination from natural light, and there were no lanterns or other artificial sources of brilliance throughout its area. Instead, Pikachu generated small sparks from its cheeks to provide a small amount of guidance through the darkness. Dawn sent out Pachirisu, Iris chose Emolga, and Cilan called upon Stunfisk; all helped with the same duty.

They were fortunate in that the path was fairly smooth and navigating it was easy, however, and there were no protruding obstructions that could not be spotted at a distance, even in the gloom. No-one tripped or fell.

They were _unfortunate,_ however, about five minutes into their run through the depths. The tunnel split off in two directions; two distinct routes. They had no way of knowing which one would lead to their goal…

Or if one could lead to a dead end.

The first tunnel lead downwards and that was all that could be determined of it.

The second was clearly at a slight incline, but was similarly opaque.

Ash barely registered these facts in his mind; he wasted no time in time-wasting decision-making and simply kept running.

"Pick a direction and stick to it!" He chose the first path, and lost none of his momentum in carrying on.

No-one questioned his recklessness. Not now. Not anymore.

Dawn and Iris flanked him. Iris seemed to have no trouble keeping up, but Dawn clearly hadn't run this hard in a while. _Can't slow down, though._

Cameron, Cilan and Cynthia took the other way. Though the task of providing light now fell solely to Stunfisk for their trio, it was still capable of creating enough to allow them to sustain their advance.

Ash's half quickly discovered that their path had not been a mistake to take. After continuing downwards for a short while longer, it too turned to proceed upwards, and far more steeply than the other had been. Climbing it was difficult, but the end result was worth it.

They rounded a corner and saw the exit to the cave. The exit that they were seeking.

_No time to waste words. No time to stop. _

_We have to hurry._

* * *

They had a good lead on the twerps. An excellent one, in fact. If they had arranged for pickup – assuming that the rumours about the plateau being impenetrable from the air were false, at least – they would have had a very high chance of successfully escaping.

But that wasn't the plan.

Weeks of patient observation, of waiting for their target to make the slightest move had finally paid off. They had experienced a slight hiccup when Meloetta had reunited with the twerps after it had been injured, but it had worked out in the end.

Looking back, the trio would agree together that their past failings had been as a result of poor planning, rashness, and immature overconfidence. Time and time again, day after day, they had failed to capture Pikachu, and for years they had wondered at the reason behind their failure, and raged at how it constantly eluded them.

Now, however, they were prepared for almost everything. _No more arrogance to be found…_

Or, rather, no inner arrogance. Indeed, success depended upon the twerps believing that nothing had changed – that they would still be so easily defeated by the simplest of strategies.

Team Rocket reached the spot that they had set up previously. Meowth still carried the jar holding Meloetta, whose fear was still plainly written on its face.

The target was in their hands and soon everything else in the area would be too.

And the twerps would _finally _be dealt with.

Once and for all.

_They just had to wait a little longer…_

* * *

They emerged into another forest, but the difference in what they saw compared to the _White Forest_ that they had known finally made them pause.

"Oh. Wow…"

These trees were all completely green, but far taller than even those that had formed a canopy in Yanmega's forest before. Even in the night's darkness – which, admittedly had not yet reached pitch black levels – this was obvious.

Ash recovered from the imposing sight and turned to his friends. Their electric Pokémon lessened their electricity production, allowing their trainers' eyes to adapt again to the outside.

"We've gotta keep moving!"

They nodded, returning their electric Pokémon to their Poké balls, and all three were about to charge into the treeline when they heard a crash behind and to the left of them, and turned to look.

Rocks tumbled and dust spat everywhere as Cynthia's Garchomp forced its way out of the cave using Brick Break, followed by Cilan and the others. They had reached the end of their path, which turned out to have finished on a part of the cave just above the exit that Ash, Dawn and Iris had used.

"Hey, over here you guys!" Ash waved them over.

"Exit was blocked." Cilan panted as they ran to reunite as a whole group. Stunfisk stopped generating electricity as it bounced alongside him. "Had to cut our way through." He paused and took in the image of the trees. "Oh. Wow…"

"Yeah, we said that too." Dawn chuckled.

"This must be the plateau that the maps indicated." Cilan mused, examining the trees.

_Need to hurry…_

"We haven't got time to waste!" Ash groaned, frustrated. "They're getting away!"

"Right, sorry."

They forged their way through the treeline as a full group once again, the brief respite having given those less accustomed to running – particularly Dawn and Cameron – a chance to recover.

"Look, guys, there're Pokémon in the trees and bushes!" Dawn pointed out an Aipom looking at them curiously, hanging upside down from a branch.

"Amazing! This place must be completely cut off from the forest proper by the cave, sustaining a completely different ecosystem. I'd wager that the cave is more of a gateway than an actual feature in itself, and-"

_Wasting time…_

"Cilan!"

"Sorry."

And so they kept running, following the uneven path through the increasingly-densely packed woodland.

"Wait!" Ash ground to a halt round a corner, the others doing the same. "There's a fork in the road!"

"Not again…" Dawn moaned, and took another moment to recuperate, breathing hard.

Natural or otherwise, there did indeed seem to be two options for them to choose between. It would have seemed like déjà vu, had they not stopped this time to think.

"It looks like someone went down this path very recently…" Cynthia indicated the right path, bending down to confirm it. "Yes, at least two people."

"They must've gone that way, then!"

"Maybe not…" Cynthia stood up, and gestured to herself, Garchomp and Cameron. "We'll take the left path, just in case it's a trap or a trick."

"Okay!"

Saying anything else would have been pointless, and a further waste of time that they could not afford. The group split as they had decided and each disappeared from the view of the other as they pressed onwards.

_They might already be gone…_

"You know…" Dawn spluttered, fighting for breath. "I don't remember Team Rocket being this… competent."

"You're right." Ash confirmed. "They've gotten stronger since we came to Unova. They don't appear as much anymore, but whenever they do, they always mean real trouble."

They fell back into silence again, the only sounds being their running footsteps, increasingly ragged breathing, and the occasional rustle of a nearby bush or tree as a Pokémon moved around inside.

_Meloetta…_

They were ten minutes into the forest when they suddenly, unexpectedly and _very_ anticlimactically reached their goal.

The outgrowth just_ ceased_, and their momentum carried them into the clearing as they slowed down, shocked at the sudden absence of plant life.

This _clearing_ was not a natural occurrence; even Ash and Dawn could realise that. There were massive gaps in the ground where trees had once stood and had been felled, probably very recently. Indeed, some stumps still existed at the edge of the space, as though the defilers had perhaps not had time to remove them. Or had simply not bothered.

"Three guesses who-" Ash nearly finished his sentence, but was interrupted by a blinding light.

"What the-"

Where there had previously been the natural shroud of night, now there was an unnatural eruption of brightness. The sudden, unexpected light burst upon the group's eyes, and it took them some time to recover from the glare and adjust to the illumination.

What they saw surprised them, but _who _they saw angered them, and came as little of a surprise.

A metal stand, or podium, sat in the middle of the clearing, which, it transpired, was far, far larger than the previous one outside the cave that connected the outer forest to the plateau. It had been made circular, around one hundred metres in diameter. Massive stadium-quality lights shone in their direction, bathing the area in a slight luminosity that brought with it long shadows.

This light was no comfort, given its sinister origin. They would have preferred the darkness.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." A feminine voice said, and then paused. "No offense, Meowth."

The Team Rocket Trio was arrayed on the podium.

James was on the left, grinning wickedly at the new arrivals.

Jessie stood to the right, smirking viciously.

And, of course, Meowth was in the middle.

_Not _holding Meloetta.

"What have you done with Meloetta?" Ash cried, and the villains' smiles only got wider.

"No need to shout, twerp."

"You'd better calm down, or you might end up making mistakes…" Jessie taunted.

"Shut up!" Ash was in no mood to listen, and, at this point, neither were the others. "_Where is Meloetta?_"

Jessie shook her head in exasperation.

"Still a one track mind. All right, twerp, you want to see your precious friend?"

* * *

Meowth picked up a remote from the platform and pressed a glowing button. There was a whirling of gears; the sound of mechanical movement ripped through the night.

The back of the platform shifted and rose, pulleys and rotors working in technical harmony to help a chunk of metal, wires and glass ascend into the air.

The machine stopped moving and the mechanical symphony was silenced.

"Look there!" Dawn noticed it first. Meloetta was still in its glass prison, but now that prison was hooked up to the machine behind it.

Meloetta was seemingly unharmed, but looked out of the glass at Ash and the others with a mixture of pure terror and misery.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of there!"

"No, you won't." James dismissed that hope with a wave of his hand. "You won't even make it up to the platform."

"Oh yeah? Who's going to stop us?" Iris spoke up, determined not to let Ash have all the fun.

It appeared that was what Jessie had been waiting.

"What a question, twerpish indeed!" She began.

"We'll answer these questions when we feel the need!" James added.

Cilan and Iris sighed and shook their heads. Dawn looked on, perplexed, while Ash's annoyance grew.

"Bringing the blinding white light of evil into the future!"

"Thrusting the hammer of justice down into the black darkness of the universe!"

"Carving our names into the rock of eternity!"

"The fiery destroyer, Jessie!" She gave a twirl.

"And with thunderous emotion, I am James!" He gave a mock salute.

"Wisest of the wise, Meowth!" the cat Pokémon bragged.

"And now, gather under the name of Team Rocket!" They finished together.

Fireworks burst into the sky in a brilliant coalescence of colour and sound, and then faded as quickly as they had appeared.

"Guess they changed the motto again, huh…" Dawn muttered.

"Quit fooling around and give Meloetta back!" Ash wasn't to be deterred today.

"Didn't you hear us earlier, twerp? Go, Woobat!" Jessie sent out the Bat Pokémon, which beat its wings rapidly at her side.

"Yamask, you're needed too!" James sent out the Spirit Pokémon, and it similarly moved to float above him.

Pikachu leapt forward and narrowed its eyes at Meowth, electricity crackling at its cheeks.

Cilan waved a hand and Stunfisk mirrored Pikachu.

Piplup jumped off Togekiss' back and both Pokémon positioned themselves sin between their trainer and the platform.

"Dragonite, let's go!" Iris chose to put her strongest foot forward. Dragonite emerged and glared at the Team Rocket Trio.

_Each trainer now has at least one Pokémon to battle with… But that isn't enough for the plan. _Jessie smiled.

"Is that all? Really?" She laughed out loud, and inwardly cheered as Ash grew even redder in the face. "Surely you care more about your precious Meloetta than to risk it all with that pathetic bunch?" _Oops, might have overdone it a little._

Dragonite would have charged at them there and then – hence Jessie's sudden apprehension – but Iris restrained it with a look that said "just a little longer". Its newfound trust in Iris overrode its instincts, and it stood its ground.

Ash frowned down at the cool, illuminated ground below, and sighed, briefly closing his eyes.

When he looked up again, he was smiling, and his demeanour was calmer.

"You know what, Team Rocket?" His voice betrayed only the slightest hint of inner, but now tranquil, rage. "Fine. You'll get what you asked for. We'd be happy to oblige." He glanced at Cilan, Dawn and Iris. "You ready, guys?"

They responded with a chorus of affirmatives.

"Excadrill, Emogla, let's go!" Iris patted her hair, and Axew jumped out. "You too, Axew."

"Pansage, Crustle and Jigglypuff, you're up!" Cilan was next.

"Mamoswine, Buneary, Quilava and Pachirisu, take the stage!" Dawn's Pokémon joined the two that were already out. Which left only Ash…

"Boldore, Oshawott, Snivy, Leavanny and Krokorok, come on out!" Ash roared.

_Now this,_ Jessie decided, _would do._

Excadrill knocked its arms together towards Team Rocket in a threatening clash of steel and began stretching its claws. Axew attempted a similar motion and discovered that it hurt to do so without metal on its fists.

Crustle cracked its claws dangerously. Jigglypuff bounced and giggled happily.

Mamoswine huffed at the sight of an enemy it hadn't expected – nor hoped - to see ever again. Quilava flared up.

Emolga, Stunfisk and Pachirisu started generating electricity again.

Buneary attempted to hug Pikachu until he told her to focus on the task at hand.

Krokorok adjusted its sunglasses. Oshawott detached its scalchop. Snivy stared at Team Rocket and then turned away dismissively.

Every single Pokémon – some sooner than others - adopted various different stances and poses for the coming battle.

It was an inspiring display of strength by the four trainers and the Pokémon. Any other day, Team Rocket would have probably been terrified to say the least.

Today, though, it was _exactly _what they had wanted to happen.

* * *

"Well, this is what you wanted. Do you honestly believe that you can stand up against us now?" Ash asked, his tone oozing the rhetorical. "Our strength comes from the bonds we share with our Pokémon. After so many years, haven't you learned that we never give up? That because our Pokémon are our friends, we won't stop fighting for them, and they won't stop fighting for us!"

"Nice speech, twerp, but those were wasted words." Jessie and Meowth offered mock applause as James spoke. "Haven't _you _learned by now that _we_ never give up?"

"Maybe you should!" Dawn shouted.

"Right back at ya!" Meowth retorted.

"So, so cocky." Jessie said with an air of finality. "It's time we put you in your place."

"Enough, Team Rocket!" A shrill cry cut through the artificial twilight as Cynthia made her presence known, her fists clenched up in anger. In front of her, Garchomp made ready to attack; behind her, Cameron stood, observing the scene. "Give Meloetta back, at once!"

"Even better!" The sheer glee now etched across Jessie's face gave all of the assembled trainers pause. "Fire it up, Meowth!"

"You got it, Jessie!" Before anyone could react, Meowth slammed down the second button on the remote. The machine holding Meloetta began to whirl into life once more.

Meloetta let out a cry of pain that was blocked by the soundproof glass, arching its back in agony.

"Take them down!" Ash screamed, and every single Pokémon began to rush forward as fast as they were able.

And then stopped as one, frozen, as if… listening.

They could hear Meloetta's psychic scream, where their trainers could not. The machine forced it to emit the noise, and channelled it into a song of torment.

"What's going on?" Dawn stared in horror, but the others had no answer for her.

Meloetta's song was normally famed for its ability to calm the most furious souls, with a few notable exceptions. Twisted like this, and channelled appropriately by the machine, it served a more sinister purpose.

"Turn around." Jessie barked.

With only two exceptions, the Pokémon turned as one against their trainers, their eyes glowing red and their bodies surrounded by a red aura.

Dawn and Iris gasped, and Iris attempted to recall Dragonite. The beam connected, but failed to return the Pokémon to its ball, and only served to enrage it, if anything.

"What the- how?"

The two exceptions were as follows. Krokorok stood still for a moment, utterly baffled by the actions of its fellows and completely unaffected by the dirge. It moved back, one careful step at a time, to stand between its trainer and the other Pokémon.

Garchomp on the other hand clutched its head, kneeling on the ground and growled ferociously. Her eyes had slammed shut, and she seemed to be fighting a private battle with herself. With a final cry, her left arm glowing with power, she smashed herself across the face with Brick Break, knocked out but unable to harm her trainer.

The same could not be said for the other controlled Pokémon.

"Surround them!" James ordered. With only a moment's hesitation, they obeyed, pushing the trainers and Krokorok back to back and further into the clearing, closer to the platform, as they formed a fairly wide circle around them. Cynthia managed to return Garchomp to its ball; it seemed that being unconscious stopped the effect of whatever the red aura was.

"All of you, stop this!"

"Piplup, what's happened to you?

"What have you done?" The tranquil part of Ash's anger had disappeared, drained away by this terrible turn of events.

"Don't you remember?" Jessie shrugged. "Doesn't this seem the least bit familiar to your twerpish brain? Think back to the Orange Islands."

Ash stared at Pikachu, witnessing the scale of the hatred that it now seemed to bear. Suddenly, the whole situation _did _seem familiar.

"But, but…" He spluttered. "That wasn't you… It was the others… How could… How did you…?"

"Cassidy and Biff are part of Team Rocket, of course." Meowth reminded him. "We got given the updated tech, and we're gonna use it properly this time!"

"Ash, what do they mean? Have they done this before?" Dawn was torn between looking fearfully at Ash, in search of a response, and at Piplup and her other Pokémon, barely able to comprehend the harsh expressions that they wore.

"Years ago, two other members of Team Rocket used a machine like this and a Drowzee to hypnotise a bunch of Pokémon, including Pikachu." He explained. "But we stopped them, and we'll stop you!"

"Not likely!" Meowth laughed. "We learned a lot from last time."

"So this is your big plan, Team Rocket? Seems a little narrow, to me." Cynthia commented.

"This isn't _the _plan, no, silly Champion." Jessie drawled Cynthia's title, earning a scowl. "But this is an excellent way of dealing with you pests. Now, any more last words before we finish this?"

The ring of Pokémon closed in further.

Then Cilan realised the obvious – the elephant in the room. Or crocodile, in this case.

"Wait, why isn't Krokorok under their control?" He glanced at the Pokémon in question, who shrugged unknowingly.

"Maybe it's the sunglasses…" Iris whispered.

"No, it won't be that simple…" Cilan looked past the encircling Pokémon at the trio of smug villains and their Pokémon. _Their Pokémon… _"That's it!" He finally had the eureka moment that they needed. "Yamask and Woobat-"

Cameron's eyes widened as he realised what Cilan was trying to get across.

"No you don't, twerp!" A slight twinge of panic etched across Jessie's face as she interrupted, as though the all-important secret was out. She pointed at what was probably the fastest and strongest Pokémon under their control; Dragonite. "Get them!"

Dragonite accepted the hasty command and surged towards the humans with a ThunderPunch, causing a few panicked cries and screams.

* * *

Before it was even half way there, a flash of light heralded another arrival on the battlefield…

"Metagross, stop that Dragonite!"

With a burst of acceleration, the Iron Leg Pokémon flew towards Dragonite and knocked it back with a Bullet Punch. Dragonite stayed up, wings flapping hard to centre itself, but remained firmly under the machine's influence.

Cameron's Metagross retreated, floating back to position itself at the fore of the group. It then dropped to the floor, legs stabilising it with a dull thump as it hit the ground.

"Nicely reasoned, Cilan." Cameron complimented, and Cilan beamed.

"Wait, so how come Metagross isn't affected?" Ash, Dawn and Iris were now very confused. Cameron smirked at the now worried villains, whilst Cynthia experienced a moment of realisation too, and Cilan rushed to explain.

"Look at Yamask and Woobat." He pointed again. "They don't seem to be affected by the machine! I'd bet that psychic and ghost types, and dark too given Krokorok, don't get affected by Meloetta's song."

"That theory would explain why Golduck wasn't calmed back in the forest." Cynthia recalled.

"Pity I left Scraggy with Professor Juniper." Ash muttered.

"But what about Meowth? He's a Pokémon as well." Iris pointed out.

"He probably has some other way of stopping the machine from affecting him." Cilan offered.

"I'm not telling ya nothing!" Meowth growled.

"It doesn't matter!" Jessie huffed defiantly. "We've still got the advantage!"

"Yes!" James joined in. "You'll still fall before our barrage of boisterous bruisers! Your Pokémon are our Pokémon now!"

"Well, now we've got a chance!" Ash turned to his friends. "We need to get to that machine and free Meloetta!" He took another look at the writhing Melody Pokémon contained by the machine and steeled himself. "Krokorok, are you up for a challenge? Are you with me?"

The Pokémon answered by bellowing a battle cry towards Team Rocket.

"Silly twerp, you haven't got a chance at all. Dragonite, get back in there and do the job properly this time!" Jessie commanded. Dragonite rushed forward in an Outrage this time, the red aura around its body joined by a white glow that could only just be seen in the blaring light.

"Intercept it with Meteor Mash!" Cameron shouted. Metagross charged a metal fist with glowing cosmic power, and jumped forward to meet the charging dragon. It took the impact of the Outrage head on, but survived with little more than a dent; the impact also sent Dragonite reeling, and in no position to dodge the subsequent smiting blow.

Having lost its Multiscale earlier from the Bullet Punch, Dragonite couldn't take such a damaging attack, and fainted easily. Iris returned it to her Poké ball.

"No! That was our best one!" James hollered in shock, only to receive a smack on the head from Meowth.

"Calm it!" He hissed. "We've still got all the others, including Pikachu, and they've only got two Pokémon to stop us!"

"You're right!" James coughed and addressed the Pokémon that they controlled. "Attack at once, all together!"

Pikachu charged an Electro Ball. Snivy sent forth its vines. Mamoswine began a running charge. Jigglypuff curled into a ball and began to roll.

All of the Pokémon were poised to attack, and surely would overwhelm the meagre resistance that Metagross and Krokorok posed by comparison.

"There's too many!"

"If only we had more Psychic, Dark or Ghost Pokémon…" Iris lamented sadly, but Cynthia patted her on the arm, and smiled calmly.

"We do." She pulled out a different Poké ball, and Cameron did the same.

"Spiritomb, battle dance!"

"Jellicent, rock out!"

Ash and the others had seen Jellicent once before, and had only forgotten it because of their unfamiliarity with Cameron's Pokémon, aside from the Volcarona that he would often bring out to allow it to enjoy the sun. It floated in the illuminated darkness, eerily silent as always, its tentacles never touching the ground.

Cynthia's Spiritomb, however, was new to them, and it seemed to act in almost completely the opposite way to Jellicent from the moment it emerged. It bounced around the group energetically, chuckling away heartedly, its eyes spinning in endless circles.

"That Spiritomb seems a lot different from the one we saw in Sinnoh." Dawn commented.

"Incoming!" Cilan yelled, as the Pokémon that opposed them launched their attacks.

What followed thereafter was a brutal melee in which the attacking Pokémon fought to get through to the trainers, and Krokorok, Metagross, Spiritomb and Jellicent fought hard to protect them.

Krokorok duelled with Leavanny and Boldore, using its endurance to take the former's hits and its speed to avoid the latter's.

Metagross stopped Mamoswine's charge with a Hammer Arm, leaving the ice/ground type barely conscious. It turned away Excadrill's Drill Run with a block using its thick hands, shrugged off a Shell Smash-empowered X-Scissor from Crustle and barely noticed the weak impact of Jigglypuff's first rollout.

Spiritomb flew above the clearing and attracted as much attention as it could with a Double Team that momentarily drew the ire of every Pokémon who could attack it from the ground; such was their intimidation at the possibility of there being so many copies. The real Spiritomb suffered little damage from the electric attacks of Pikachu, Emolga, Stunfisk and Pachirisu, and took to raining down Dark Pulses, cackling madly while avoiding the persistent aerial attacks of Togekiss.

Jellicent bore the brunt of the elemental attacks aimed at the group. It sustained damage from Snivy's leaves, Pansage's Solarbeam, Quilava's flames, Axew's Dragon Rage and Buneary's Ice Beam, but was subsequently reinvigorated by the water-based attacks of Oshawott and Piplup, absorbing them to regain its strength. It retaliated when it could by shooting out scalding water.

The attackers could not break the defenders' line, but equally the defenders were too busy warding off the attackers to go on the offensive.

It was, in short, a stalemate. One that had no end in sight.

What the conflict _did _cause, however, was a cacophony of noise, sparks and violence that attracted attention from those outside its original expanse.

* * *

"Ash, we've gotta get to that machine and shut it down!" Iris yelled over the din.

"Yeah, let's go!" He turned to the other trainers behind him. "Cynthia, can you keep going without Krokorok?"

She waved him on, a look of intensity and concentration plastering her features.

"We'll be fine; go, destroy that machine!" She shouted.

"Ok, Krokorok, let's move!" Ash yelled, and sprinted out of an opening in the battle created by a well-timed Shadow Ball from Spiritomb, flanked by Iris and Cilan. Dawn attempted to follow, but was pulled back by Cynthia just in time as Metagross brought Mamoswine temporarily crashing down with another Hammer Arm.

"Uh oh." Meowth noticed Ash, Cilan, Iris and Krokorok break away from the crowd. "We got a problem."

"Yamask, stop them with Shadow Ball!" _We're too close! We can't fail now!_

"Use Psychic, Woobat!" _Just a little longer, and they'll be down for the count!_

The attacks connected, but barely hurt Krokorok at all by virtue of the type matchup.

"Krokorok, hit Woobat with Stone Edge, and Yamask with Crunch!" Ash's choices were good ones. A flurry of rocks zipped towards Woobat with such speed that it was in no position to avoid them, and easily caused it to faint because of its flying-type. Yamask got too close to Krokorok, allowing it to leap up to the Ghost-type and intercept it, with a painful conclusion.

"No!" Jessie and James yelped in unison, recalling their Pokémon.

The twerps kept coming.

"Pikachu, break off and help us!" Meowth screeched. The Mouse Pokémon kicked away from the fighting and blitzed back towards the platform.

"Krokorok, keep Pikachu busy!" The Desert Croc assented and turned back to delay Pikachu. Ash and Iris reached the platform steps, Cilan right behind them.

"We won't let you win, you'll- oof!" Jessie began to shout, but was interrupted by Iris shoulder-barging her. The strength of Iris' momentum bowled Jessie over and carried her straight off the side of the platform.

"Cilan, shut that thing down!" Ash pointed to a button next to Meloetta's container, helpfully labelled _**SHUT DOWN MACHINE. **_He then proceeded to obstruct James, running him around in circles.

Meowth tried to intercept Cilan, but found his way blocked by Iris, who glared at him.

"Stop him!" Jessie wailed as Cilan was only three metres from the button, closing the distance fast.

Two metres…

One metre…

He reached his hand out and…

_SPLAT_

His hand was pushed aside and stuck to the machine proper, far off from the button, by a strong strand of String Shot. More of the sticky substance followed, sealing Cilan to the machine in something of a half-cocoon. A Venomoth fluttered down to stare at him, eyes wild and glowing red.

"What the-" Ash managed, before he was pulled away from James by a strong hand-like tail and forced to the floor. The Aipom that they had spotted earlier had arrived, eyes glowing in the same way. It kept a strong pressure on his back to stop him from getting up.

"Ash! No!" Iris screamed, giving Meowth the opening he needed to safely knock the wind out of her.

It was at about this time that Pikachu finally defeated Krokorok, Iron Tail overcoming Stone Edge.

Jessie climbed back onto the platform and surveyed the scene; Cilan; all strung up, Iris; breathless, Ash; pinned and Krokorok; helpless.

She tipped her head back and laughed deeply. At the edges of the clearing, more wild Pokémon began to emerge from the treeline, all with terrifying red auras and matching red eyes.

* * *

"The machine's range slowly increases the longer it's turned on for." James noted. "It'll cover the whole plateau soon."

"You mean the longer it hurts Meloetta!" Ash spat, and Aipom increased the force it was exerting in response.

"Details." Jessie waved off this criticism and stopped laughing. "We'll turn it off as soon as we have what we need. And as soon as this control is permanent."

"Which could take a couple o' hours, depending on the Pokémon." Meowth winked at him. "As for you three… Ya won't be around to see it."

On the ground just off the platform, unbeknownst to Pikachu, Krokorok began to stir.

Ash looked left and saw Meloetta, still screaming, still writhing inside its prison.

He looked right and saw the on-going melee. Cameron and Cynthia were too caught up in orchestrating the fray, giving commands to their Pokémon and avoiding attacks, to be paying attention to the platform. Dawn was looking straight at him, unburdened by the need to direct. Her blue hair was all over the place, she was on the verge of crying, all confidence gone, and she seemed to be trying to shout something to him desperately.

He couldn't make out what she was saying.

If he shifted just _far _enough, just _quickly_ enough, he could perhaps send the Aipom sprawling and make a run for the machine.

_It's risky, but it's our last hope._

He was preparing himself to do this when two things happened at once.

First, Krokorok drew upon the last reserves of its strength to stagger upwards and launch a Stone Edge attack at Pikachu, sending the Mouse Pokémon flying right next to Ash and startling everyone on the platform. Krokorok threw back its head and roared triumphantly.

Second, the edge of the forests shifted again.

Only this time, it would not mean that Team Rocket would be receiving new recruits.

Two Pokémon stalked out of the bushes at the far side of the clearing. Both were practically shuddering with rage, a thunderous look in their eyes. An aura surrounded them, fully visible in the harsh light.

The aura was blue, not red. And their eyes had not changed.

One waved a hand that clutched a spoon, and sent some of the wrathful Pokémon – half of those attacking Cameron, Cynthia, Dawn and their unaffected Pokémon - flying into the sky, only to crash back down.

The other brandished bladed arms and unleashed waves of energy on the other enslaved Pokémon that besieged the trainers, the force knocking them down.

"What's going on over there?" James tried to make out the shapes through the obstructing plethora of wounded Pokémon, but was unable to.

While this occurred, it was not the worst of Team Rocket's woes.

Krokorok was still roaring, a sound which suddenly became dominant to the humans as the clash of battle from afar ceased.

Then Krokorok started to glow with a familiar, brilliant and utterly welcome light.

"Ash!" Cilan was ecstatic, even if he could move nothing but his head to watch. "It's evolution time!"

The silhouette of Krokorok's snout enlarged under the light; it grew slightly taller and bulkier, with pronounced eyelids and a massive tail. The light faded, and it made its first move to ensure that the sunglasses were still firmly on its face. It then roared again, only with a different cry this time.

"Krookodile!" The newly evolved – much larger – Desert Croc bared its fangs and slammed the ground. All of the enraged wild Pokémon that had been slowly approaching the platform were knocked off their feet.

"Woah!"

"A brilliant Earthquake!" Iris cheered. "If only Excadrill would learn that…"

"Uh oh." Meowth trembled as Krookodile turned towards the platform and grinned, revealing its very shiny and _very_ pointy teeth. "I don't wanna mess with that guy."

_Now_ Ash took his chance.

Throwing Aipom off, he pushed past Jessie and dived for the button. The wild Venomoth was far too slow in attempting a Stun Spore, and his fingers hammered down on the button.

The machine spotted whirring.

Meloetta stopped "silently" screaming.

Team Rocket _started_ screaming.

With no further decorum – as properly befitted a dark-type Pokémon - Krookodile sent the villainous trio blasting off with a powerful Stone Edge. They disappeared over the horizon to the north-east, swearing vengeance.

The rampaging Pokémon – those that remained conscious - lost their glowing red aura. Their eyes returned to normal.

The wild Pokémon on the edge of the clearing got to their feet and dispersed into the forest. They were soon after joined by the Venomoth and Aipom.

There was momentary calm in the forest once more. Night resumed as the lights were the last part of the machine to shut down.

Pikachu looked around, confused, at how battered and bruised Ash, Cilan and Iris were, and wondered how he had managed to get up on the platform in the first place.

"Pikachu, you're back!" Ash cried. Pikachu scurried up to Ash and jumped into his arms.

"Pika, pika!"

"And Krookodile, you were amazing! Thank you!" His newly evolved Pokémon roared happily.

"Uh, Ash, sorry to break up the reunion, but we've got some things to deal with here." Cilan pointed at himself and Meloetta, who was still encased in the glass, albeit no longer in pain.

"Oh. Right. Sorry." Ash recovered. "Krookodile, cut away the web and then carefully break open the glass!"

Krookodile complied with surgical skill.

Cilan dusted himself off as Ash gathered up Meloetta.

"Come on, Meloetta, wake up." He whispered soothingly. Meloetta stirred and looked up at him mournfully. "You're safe now."

"Ash! You did it!" Dawn and the others had finally walked up to the platform. Dawn carried Piplup in her arms, looking shaken herself, but relatively unscathed.

Cynthia had a cut across her cheek from a stray attack, but was otherwise fine. Bouncing alongside her was her Spiritomb, who had retained its cheerful nature even after the battle.

Cameron was again trying to avoid putting pressure on his leg, patting the slightly dented Metagross on the head and whispering appreciatively to Jellicent as he walked.

"And Krokorok evolved!" Dawn finished.

Ash smiled, and soon they were all copying him; it was simply infectious.

It had worked out in the end, after all. Mostly.

* * *

Ash turned his gaze across the assorted Pokémon, starting with Dawn's – some of whom were in desperate need of medical attention, including Mamoswine - and ending with his own, all sporting various injuries but none particularly worse for wear. Then he noticed the other two Pokémon at the back of the group.

They stood calmly, apart from the rest, but without a sign of hostility.

"An Alakazam? And a Gallade?" He asked, intrigued. Cynthia nodded.

"Yes. They came out of the forest and helped us at the end of the battle. We think," She exchanged a glance with Cameron. "That they are the guardians of this plateau. That they protect it from aerial observation and keep it safe with their psychic powers."

Looking closely, Ash could see scars and marks of age across the two Pokémon that stood out even in the dark.

"Thanks." He said to them. "Thanks for helping. We might not have been able to stop them if you hadn't…" The Alakazam nodded.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt." Dawn's worried tone put them all on alert again. "But Mamoswine kinda needs a potion or something; it's not doing so well."

"Oh, of course. We'll need to treat all of the Pokémon." Cynthia sent out her recovering Garchomp again as Iris called upon the similarly hurt Dragonite. Cynthia reached into her pocket for a potion from her endless supply, but stopped when Gallade motioned for them to step away.

They complied, and Gallade moved to stand in front of the injured Pokémon. With a deep breath, it brought its arms down to its sides, and unleashed a horizontal, circular wave of brilliant colours, from deep reds to shining golds. The energy washed over the injured Pokémon, mending their wounds and restoring their injuries.

"Amazing!" Cilan gasped, awestruck.

"Thank you." Ash repeated, and the others echoed him, recalling their Pokémon. The Gallade nodded. Both it and Alakazam remained, but stayed silent.

Meloetta stirred again, and this time had regained the strength to hover slightly in the air. In took off, but looked at Ash miserably, then averted its gaze, still upset from what it had done earlier.

"Meloetta…" Ash sighed, and paused for a moment. In all of the excitement, with the adrenaline rushing through him, he hadn't realised just how _cold _the night had become. A chill wind whipped across the open clearing. "Listen," He began again. "I don't blame you for doing what you did." Meloetta looked up at Ash again, eyes wide. "You wanted to stay with us, and I can understand that. But you won't be safe with us, and we're going so far away… I just can't guarantee that I'll be able to protect you, and that's what's most important. I'm sorry, but please understand…"

Meloetta opened its mouth to argue, but Alakazam started speaking first.

It spoke calmly and quietly, and it would have been a struggle for Meloetta to hear it had the night not been now so clear from outside noise. The conversation lasted one minute, and was fairly one-sided. Meloetta occasionally replied, but Alakazam did most of the talking.

"What do you think they're saying?" Iris asked Cilan, whispering. Cilan couldn't even hazard a guess, and simply stared, fascinated.

It finished with a final flourish of its spoons, and pointed off to the west horizon in the air. Meloetta could apparently see something that the humans could not, because it gasped in admiration and surprise.

Alakazam stepped back, and seemed to be waiting for a decision of some kind.

Meloetta sighed, and then floated through the air back to Ash. It hugged him, and he hugged back.

"I think Meloetta's decided to stay." Cynthia murmured. "It knows that the Psychic Pokémon can protect it, and it will have friends here."

Meloetta released Ash from the hug last, and floated back into the sky to hover between Alakazam and Gallade. It waved first at the trainers, who waved back, then at Pikachu, Piplup and Oshawott, the latter having somehow having avoided being returned to its ball earlier. Both Pokémon promptly began to argue over who exactly Meloetta was fighting over, until Pikachu broke them up with a jolt.

"It's time to go." Cynthia whispered gently. Ash nodded, and the six trainers and their outside Pokémon walked slowly out of the clearing and back into the treeline, intent on returning through the cave to the _White Forest_ itself.

Ash looked back, waving all the way, until darkness obscured the platform and Meloetta, Alakazam and Gallade in front of it.

Having said a heartfelt farewell to a good friend, and seen off the predations of an old enemy, the trainers had finished the first step of their journey.

_Now,_ Ash though, _It's time to head to Kanto and deliver this. _He felt for the strange stone in his pocket and noted that it was still there, untouched. Pikachu yawned and stretched on his shoulder, then curled up as carefully as he could.

_Let's just hope that this trip home doesn't prove to be too much trouble…_

* * *

_Rage courses in every heart, yearning to betray its rational prison._

_- Sarkhan Vol, Act of Treason (M12)_


	8. Departure

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

* * *

If the journey to the plateau could be called eventful by any standard, the trek back to civilisation was most certainly not.

The group camped for that evening just outside the cave, as all were completely exhausted and had been running on the reserves of energy that they possessed, as well as the rush of adrenaline that had become so frequent during the tumultuous events of the few hours before. They snatched what sleep they could and then left early in the morning of the next day, yawning and rubbing bloodshot eyes.

Instead of returning the way that they had come, the six travellers went the opposite way. They departed westward through the forest, picking carefully through now-familiar bushes and shrubs.

The path was no easier to keep to, but they made good time in reaching the outer boundary of the forest; probably because they managed to avoid getting lost again.

They took a break for lunch as soon as they reached the start of Route Fifteen, marked by a helpful signpost and obscured almost entirely by a light mist. There were no Pokémon battles this time. The six trainers and their Pokémon ate, rested and then resumed their journey.

No-one was really in the mood for anything else.

No-one would say or admit to it, but all had a great deal on their minds.

Route Fifteen, it transpired, had sharper cliffs and taller grass than Route Fourteen had before it. There were no waterfalls and barely a single tree in sight, but the shrouding mist made their current path far more treacherous.

Iris, after tripping over a cunningly-concealed rock and nearly slipping off the side of a narrow cliff for the sixth time, grumbled that someone should have really thought to bring a Pokémon that could use Defog, trying to bait either Ash or Cameron into a small burst of remedial banter.

Both were too distracted by other concerns, pains and worries to bother.

At one point they passed what appeared from the outside to be a research laboratory, sitting on elevated ground and comfortably in between two stone walls. They overheard someone – who appeared to be the head researcher, given the way that those he talked to deferred to him greatly, shouting animatedly at his subordinates and alternating between English, French and Italian.

Any other day, they might have felt inclined to investigate, but not today.

They finished Route Fifteen, again, in very good time, and arrived at a way station with an elevator stretching up high into the sky, hugging the wall of rock that marked out yet another of the cliff faces that seemed prevalent in the area.

It was only mid-afternoon, and so after a quick breather at the way station – which at that point was entirely deserted, they boarded the elevator up to the Marvelous Bridge.

The elevator ascended to its maximum height within minutes. Exiting it, they discovered one interpretation as to how the Marvelous Bridge received its name.

Strictly speaking, the bridge was named for the masterful feats of engineering that were required to build, raise it and connect it to each side with the impressive elevators. It was the most recently constructed of Unova's various bridges, and thus received the latest in technological advancements – deemed marvels, and hence the name.

The most common alternate interpretation, however, relates to the _view._

Most of the time, the bridge would be sheathed in the same fog that so often consumes the surrounding routes, a problem exacerbated by its comparative height.

Some of the time, the fog would clear, and the sun would shine through.

Such a time just so happened to occur as Ash and the others disembarked from the elevator, forcing them to briefly shield their unadjusted eyes from the glowing warmth.

They moved onto the bridge to begin crossing it and gasped at the sight that they were able to behold. The water below glistened in the beautiful sun, glimmering with a shine that only such illumination could provide. Iris pointed out a number of water-type Pokémon sunning themselves at the surface of the water, Mantine and Basculin in particular taking in as much of the rare sunlight as they could from their current position.

It was a sight to cheer the soul, and it helped them to forget their problems for just a little while, however fleeting that time might have been.

As they reached the middle of the bridge they were able to pause again to take in another majestic sight – the cliffs on either side towering powerfully over the water, but still eclipsed by the construct over which they stood.

They were in no hurry to get off the bridge, until the fog rolled in once more, as quickly as it had disappeared, and it became _very _difficult to see through the mist. They carefully made their forward to the opposite elevator, intent on staying close to the middle of the bridge and sticking together, and they fortunately succeeded.

The descending trip in this elevator passed even more quickly than the ascending one had – or at least it felt like it had. The way station at the bottom of the west-side also happened to be inhabited, an old couple temporarily staying there until they could meet up with their friends and travel eastbound across the bridge.

The couple turned out to be _very_ willing and_ very_ able to tell long stories, and delayed the group nearly over an hour with a tale of Unovan mythology, until Ash and Iris, desperate with boredom, hatched an escape plan. They excused themselves with requests for a bathroom break, and then as soon as they were out of the line of sight of their two "captors", motioned for the others to follow as soon as they could.

Ten minutes later, they lamented the loss of such time to such a pointless cause as late afternoon set in and they began the trek into the lengthy – and still very misty – Route Sixteen.

They didn't make it far in the time that they had remaining in the night. Iris began complaining of exhaustion long before the sun began to set, and given her physical condition being as good as it was, it meant that the others had also been fighting off the relentless advance of sleep for some time too, and so were in no particular mood to argue. They set up camp off the road around the middle of Route Sixteen, and jumped into their tents or sleeping bags for a good early night's sleep.

Their sleep might have been interrupted by the still-present nagging concerns that they all carried, but, just for tonight, they were too tired to ponder them, and all fell asleep relatively quickly.

Those concerns were saved for another day.

* * *

The next day was more for productive, and they technically covered more ground - if ground covered in an aeroplane counts towards such a running total.

The remainder of Route Sixteen took little time to finish, and after a light breakfast and an hour's walk they had reached the outskirts of Nimbasa City, the Ferris Wheel first to be spotted.

Pokémon in this area were few and far between and mostly kept to himself, though a few Fearow and their flocks of Spearow could be seen dominating the occasional tree that emerged from the mist.

Some of the group had shown signs that a bit more sleep had been all that they had required in order to return to normal. Cilan, for example, had begun a retrospective on the Marvelous Bridge that they had crossed the day before, leading Iris to sarcastically ask if he was a bridge connoisseur in addition to his many other passions, and, if so, why he had waited so long to inform them of such an interest, and why he had not bored them the day before with the many facts that he knew.

Cilan responded that it fell he was not a bridge connoisseur, but the last bridge that they had crossed fell under his interest in engineering and he had been hoping for all of the journey to get a chance to see it.

Cameron chipped in by reminding Iris that she frequently espoused the virtues of Dragon-type Pokémon to everyone else, so she was hardly in a position to complain about someone interested in something. This renewed their running rivalry, and they spent the subsequent hours glaring at each other, as if waiting for the other to make a comment that could be jumped upon.

As for Iris' last remark, even she knew why he had waited a day to talk about it.

Ash, Cynthia and Dawn remained very quiet throughout that morning. Such behaviour was hardly unusual for Cynthia, thought even her introspective seemed to have completely consumed her attention this morning. For Ash and Dawn to be so lost in thought was very unusual, however, and Cilan and Iris quietly but jointly resolved to get to the bottom of it at the most appropriate time – but soon, nonetheless. Pikachu and Piplup, for their part, could tell that their trainers were uncommonly muted, and behaved similarly themselves.

If nothing else, the journey to Kanto would be a little dull if two of the group didn't say a single word.

They arrived in Nimbasa City in the early morning, and immediately ventured into the Subway to head to the Pokémon centre. Cilan hoped to see Ingo and Emmet again, but whether by luck or by timing, he was denied the opportunity. He contented himself with gazing happily out of the subway car window at the other passing trains, to Iris' despair and the onlookers' despair.

As usual, the subway was expedient and they trudged into the Pokémon centre in no time. They handed their Pokémon over to Nurse Joy for a quick check-up, though, thanks to Gallade's Heal Pulse, none had injuries that were of particular concern. They bought lunch to give Cilan a break from cooking for six, which had been difficult even with everyone chipping in.

Everyone ate with gusto, including Ash, whose sudden guardedness did at least not appear to have dented his appetite to any noticeable extent.

After lunch, they collected their Pokémon and departed the centre. Cynthia led the way through bustling city streets to the quieter suburbs of the outer, south-western Nimbasa City, and area that Ash, Cilan and Iris had not visited during their original stay.

They might well have had time for a quick trip around the fairground, the Big Stadium or the Small Court; or even the musical hall, but no-one bothered to suggest it. All had experienced them before, and, again, it just didn't seem an appropriate time for such merriment.

Nimbasa City was famed as the "entertainment capital" of Unova, and from the list of the above attractions being only the tip of the iceberg, this was certainly the case. What far fewer people knew about Nimbasa was that it possessed a fully functioning, if scarcely used, civilian airfield.

_This_ was their destination in Nimbasa City today. Cynthia, while making the arrangements in Undella Town, had hired a private plane to be waiting for the six of them when they arrived, which was the reason that they had travelled west instead of returning northeast.

Dawn and Iris in particular praised Cynthia for her foresight; this would undoubtedly shorten the journey to Mistralton City's commercial airfield to a fraction of its original length. The group boarded the comfortable aircraft, welcomed by a surly, heavily tattooed man, who identified himself gruffly as their pilot for the flight, and gave his name only as Bill. Soon they were in the air, soaring high in the sky over the Nimbasa's city centre, then in the space between the Big Stadium and the Small Court and then above the cloud level, flying north over vast forests towards Mistralton.

The flight took two hours and was uneventful in the extreme, and continued what had been an extremely tame two days in terms of action, but after the difficulties in saying goodbye to Meloetta at the plateau, a short period of calm was entirely welcome to the group.

They encountered few Pokémon in the sky, with only one such incident of note actually occurring.

"Ooh! I think that's an Altaria!" Iris broke nearly thirty minutes of uninterrupted silence, pointing out the window at a strangely shaped cloud.

Across the other side of the plane, Cameron cursed and handed Cynthia a Poké dollar, who smirked as she accepted it with an air of triumph.

"I'm serious, you guys! I'm going to try to catch one!"

"How… Are you going to do that?" Ash enquired. "We're in the plane…"

"Ugh, not now, of course!" Iris' face screwed up in frustration and she crossed her arms. "I'm going to catch one_ later!_ You're such a kid!"

The rest of the flight passed in silence until they landed – rather precariously – at the end of the Mistralton airstrip marked out for civilian flights. They disembarked quickly, waved off by Bill, who hadn't stopped grinning toothily after Cynthia had kindly tipped him for his trouble.

* * *

Cynthia offered to be the one to buy the tickets for an evening flight to Kanto, and Cameron decided to accompany her. This left Ash, Cilan, Dawn and Iris to wander the city for a little while and gave them a chance to tie up loose ends.

"Are you sure about this, Ash?" Professor Juniper asked him, her expression betraying little more than interested curiosity. "I don't mind doing it, of course, but…"

"Yes, sorry Professor, I'm pretty sure."

"It's no problem, don't worry. I'll make the necessary arrangements." She tapped a few keys on her computer, filing away the task for later. "I guess that means your journey in Unova is over for now?"

"Yeah, I need to return to Kanto for a couple of months, but I'll be back in time for the Unova League conference."

"Well, that's good to know." She smiled. "Good luck, Ash, and tell the others I wished them well too."

"I will. Thanks, Professor. Bye." Ash shut off the link and sighed.

They had immediately made for the Pokémon centre upon splitting up, as Ash needed to request that Professor Juniper send the four of his Pokémon that she had at her lab – Unfezant, Pignite, Palpitoad and Scraggy – to Professor Oak, as he had no idea when exactly he would be returning to Unova before the league in just under three months' time. He still had two calls to place, though.

First, he called home, and told his mom that he would be returning very shortly home. Her joy at such a prospect was matched only by her happiness that he had actually remembered to call her first for once instead of Professor Oak – something that he could only smile weakly in response to.

Having done so, he then called Professor Oak to tell him that he would be visiting.

Professor Oak didn't answer, however. Someone else did.

"Ash!"

"Tracey!" Ash's face broke out into a genuine smile, the first for nearly a day. "It's good to see you!"

"Same, even if it is only via the video link. And hello Pikachu, too!" Tracey also sported a wide smile at the occasion of seeing a good friend once more. "How've you been?"

"Pretty good, I got all the Unova badges just over a week ago."

"That's brilliant!"

"How about you?"

"Not too bad, thanks. Things have been pretty normal around here lately."

_Lucky for some…_

"Is that Ash I hear?" Professor Oak's voice sounded distant through the link, but increased in clarity as he walked closer. He appeared in the view of the screen and smiled. "Ash! It is you. It's been too long, my young friend! And there's Pikachu, too!"

"Pika pika!

"It has, Professor. Tracey and I were just catching up."

"That's good to hear. So, to what situation do we owe the honour of a call?"

Ash explained – briefly - about the upheaval in Unova, and why he would shortly be returning to Kanto, because of what Cameron had asked him to do.

"That's pretty much it, Professor. Professor Juniper said that the Poké balls should arrive through the link sometime tomorrow morning."

"That's no problem, Ash, we'll be sure to keep an eye out for them." Oak said, but, like Ash, neither he nor Tracey was smiling at this point. "The rest of what you've said worries me, however. If there's a chance for Unova to fall into chaos, well…"

"Out least you guys will be out of the area while it calms down." Tracey commented.

"Unless this stone that Ash now possesses draws them to pursue him here…" Oak pointed out grimly. They were all silent for several moments, absorbing the weight of such a terrible possibility.

"Maybe I shouldn't…" Ash began, but Oak cut him off.

"No, don't worry. I think they'd have stopped you by now if they were going to try anything; if anyone wanted the stone that badly they've had several days to try to get it from you – before you left the region. Tell Cameron that I'll take a look at the stone when you arrive."

"Okay. Thanks, Professor."

"No problem. We'll see you in a few days." Tracey smiled and waved at Ash, then moved off camera. "We look forward to meeting your friends in person, too."

Ash reciprocated the pleasantries and cut the call, then looked over to Dawn, who had been sitting patiently across from him the entire time, cradling Piplup as she always did.

"All done?"

"Done." He replied, moving out of the seat and allowing her to sit down. "All yours."

"Thanks. Pity they only have one working videophone…" She grumbled. "Time to call my mom too, I guess." She hesitated. "You… can go on, if you want. Cilan and Iris are still waiting downstairs."

"Nah, I'll stay here if you're okay with that. Keep you company." He took up her previous seat, allowing Pikachu back onto his shoulder.

Dawn smiled at him, a motion that she too had hardly had the chance to adopt for a few days.

"Thanks, Ash."

* * *

Sometime later, they had another chance to explore the few shops that Mistralton City had to offer, and, in Ash's case, pick up something to bring home as a souvenir.

Buying something like this wasn't something that he normally would do. The souvenirs that he would normally end up bringing up would usually be gifts; Misty's lure -though he still kept that one on him, given its usefulness – and the wooden Teddiursa that May had given him, to name just two. Either that or they would be items that held some sentimental value to his journey.

But from this journey, one that had been so short and so unlike the others… He wanted something to mark that irregularity. And what better way to do so than by doing something irregular to obtain one?

He was, therefore, understandably poor at deciding what to buy. And it wasn't like the shops had a great deal of stock to begin with, anyway…

Iris was of little help, muttering something about how souvenirs in general were for little kids.

Fortunately, Cilan and Dawn were on hand to help. Iris promptly dubbed Cilan a "small shop connoisseur", an assessment which seemed highly accurate given the impressive amount of information he was immediately able to pull up on Mistralton's meagre shopping facilities.

Dawn, meanwhile, possessed an uncanny level of skill at detecting value for money and the level of effort and quality design put into making practically anything you could find in such a place.

The two found it difficult to agree on what an appropriate combination of thrift – provided by Cilan – and quality actually looked like, and it took them a while to do so, leaving Ash completely bewildered in the meantime.

That was how Ash came to purchase a crystalline figurine of a Chandelure. The vendor had informed them that the material was inexpensive, but looked close enough to convince any casual observer that it was anything but that. Dawn seemed inclined to disagree, but grudgingly admitted that it would be an adequate given Ash's budget, while being duly restrained by Cilan from speaking out further.

That conversation continued down the road, the bemused pair of Ash and Iris trailing behind as they made their way back in the direction of the Pokémon centre.

"That was a reputable low-budget jeweller!"

"Whatever. I'm still not sure just how- woah!" Dawn was bowled over by an oncoming object mid-sentence, sending Piplup flying – and squealing – into Iris' hands.

The object turned out to be a person.

"Sorry, sorry!" The girl apologised profusely, helping the stunned Dawn up off the floor. "Sorry, I didn't see you coming, I-"

"Bianca!" Iris cried.

Bianca turned and beamed at the trio that she was familiar with.

"Iris! Ash, Cilan!" She shouted, letting go of Dawn by accident in her excitement and dropping her to the ground with a thud. "I didn't know you were all here!"

"We only just got here." Iris said. "Just passing through."

"Oh, I see, I knew you'd already obtained it, Ash, so that made me wonder why…"

"It?" Ash asked, confused.

"The gym badge, of course!" Bianca replied, unclipping her badge case and opening it. "I just need two badges, so I'll be heading to Icirrus City if I can get Skyla's…"

"Oh, cool! You're so close now." Cilan complimented.

"Anyone mind introducing me?" Dawn put in, having moved to stand beside Bianca.

"Oh, you're one of Ash's friends! I'm so sorry, I kinda get excited sometimes and rush around. Nice to meet you, how you do?" Bianca shook her hand. Bianca's rapid fire, animated delivery was a little too fast for Dawn.

"Bianca; this is Dawn, one of our friends from Sinnoh." Ash explained. "Dawn, this is Bianca, one of our friends in this region."

"Heh, nice to meet you."

"So, why_ are_ you guys here then?" Bianca's boundless curiosity returned with a vengeance, but at least she was able to talk while they made their way back to the Pokémon centre. "I mean, I thought you'd still be in the east waiting for the Junior Cup, it was a shame I couldn't make it up there but I only had three months to go til the league so I wanted to be safe… I mean, I heard that the cup was called off and all because of the stuff that happened in Victory Road, but…"

"We're... Uh… Catching a plane." Cilan managed to put in.

"A plane? Where to?"

"Kanto." Iris revealed succinctly. Bianca's jaw dropped.

"Kanto?! You're all leaving Unova?! Why? But, the league's so soon! Aren't you competing? Although I guess that you could go and come back, but…"

"We've got a couple of… things to do in Kanto, unfortunately." Dawn interrupted this time.

"Don't worry, I won't be missing the league." Ash reassured her.

Bianca seemed a little calmer for this, but still seemed a little sad.

"Aww, I'll miss you guys." She pouted. "But I guess it's okay if you're coming back. I- Oh my gosh! _Plushies_!" Her eye had caught onto a vast selection of stuffed toy Pokémon arrayed in a shop window, and, abandoning everything else, she sprinted inside the store.

"Wow. Talk about attention-" Iris made it halfway through her sentence…

"_Plushies!_ I love plushies!" Dawn gasped and followed Bianca inside at the same speed. The others sighed and did the same.

* * *

Nearly an _hour_ later, Bianca and Dawn emerged from the shop, each carrying a bag full of new soft toys, chatting and comparing happily; Dawn supporting Piplup in her other hand. The others again followed behind. Cilan had bought one of each of his current team; Iris had settled only for an Axew. Ash bought a Mr. Mime and had _intended_ to buy a Pikachu as well, but a few well-timed sparks and an angry look from the real thing dissuaded him.

Pikachu didn't want that kind of competition.

"Now that that's done, let's go back to the Pokémon centre." Cilan suggested.

"Wait wait, can you guys come with me and watch my gym battle?" Bianca pleaded, her hands together. "I mean, if you haven't got anything else to do and-"

"Sure, I don't see why not." Iris cut her off quickly. Bianca beamed happily again.

Reaching the gym took very little time, considering Mistralton's size – or lack thereof. At the other end of the high-street, practically opposite the Pokémon centre and not far from the airstrip, lay the Mistralton gym.

Indeed, they even found Skyla straight away. She was standing outside the gym and looking up at the sign.

"I don't know…" She was muttering. "Maybe we could do with a change of colour after all…"

"Skyla!" Ash's greeting broke her out of her reverie.

"Ash, Cilan, Iris!" She shouted back, happy to see familiar faces as they greeted her in return. "It's been a little while, hasn't it? What brings you to Mistralton?"

"Just passing through." Iris repeated what she had told Bianca. "However, Bianca here…"

"Gym Leader Skyla, I'd like to challenge you for a badge, if I may." Bianca said, putting a hint of determination into her voice.

"I'd love to accept your challenge." Skyla replied sweetly, tossing a stray strand of red hair out of her eyes. "But I can't. I'm afraid the gym is closed."

"Not more air battles?" Ash asked crossly.

"Nah." Skyla winked at him. "Don't worry, I've learned my lesson. The last battle I had against a trainer with a Klingklang kind of… wrecked the gym a little. Blasted a hole in the roof and destroyed half the battlefield, so the gym'll be closed for about a week for repairs."

"A week? Aww…" Bianca sighed.

Skyla apologised. After a few more introductions and general conversation they departed for the Pokémon centre again, Skyla waving them off.

* * *

Dinner that night was on Cameron, primarily in gratitude for the favour that they were performing for him. Ash convinced him to include Bianca in the group as well.

Cynthia informed everyone that their tickets had been booked for the last flight of the evening, and that they would need to be at the airport within an hour of finishing their meal. Bianca sullenly realised that this meant that the others would miss her gym battle; Ash, Cilan, Dawn and Iris apologised, but wished her the best of luck and encouraged her to succeed.

Everyone was a little more talkative, a little more relaxed at this gathering than they had been for some time. Bianca had been a factor that went some way towards helping there. Given that she seemed incapable of staying quiet unless being talked to by someone else, she was able to keep several conversations going all by herself, particularly with Dawn, with whom she seemed to be kindred spirits. Ash also remembered to ask Bianca to let Trip, Stephan, Luke, Georgia – or even Burgundy, as Cilan pointed out – know, if they asked, where the group had gone until the Pokémon league. Bianca happily resolved to do so if she encountered them again.

They finished their food sated and a little more heartened by their renewed companionship. A little later, they left the Pokémon centre carrying their now-very full bags to the airport, arriving with fifteen minutes to spare.

Mistralton Airport differed from most worldwide commercial airports by having limited security; one luggage scan and that was it. Nothing in the cases of the five set off the alarm and so they were free to continue. Cameron and Bianca could also accompany them onto the tarmac, but, lacking tickets, could obviously not board the plane.

Whether or not such security would tighten in subsequent months as the fallout spread from Team Plasma's attack on the Pokémon League remained to be seen.

Cynthia and Cameron spoke privately one last time before their departure, while the others said their goodbyes to Bianca. The contents of the formers' conversation remained a mystery to Ash and the others, conducted in guarded whispers as it was, but it ended with the champion of Sinnoh and the former champion of Unova involved in a long, friendly, hug.

Then, with one last shared goodbye, Ash, Cilan, Cynthia, Dawn and Iris boarded the plane and took their seats. Five minutes later, they waved out of the window at the forms of Bianca and Cameron as they stood in the shadow of the terminal in the distance, as the plane took off and soared into the sky.

"So…" Bianca began, as she and Cameron walked back to the Pokémon centre. "Want to battle tomorrow? Do you have any Pokémon on you, anyway? Ooh, what kinds?"

"Sure." Cameron shrugged. "I'm not in much of a hurry."

* * *

The journey to Kanto by plane was a very, very long one and subsequently took a very, very long amount of time. Their arrival time was estimated at seven the following morning.

For many years, most had deemed such a trip impossible, an exercise in futility at best and a suicidal engagement at worst. In very recent times, barely a hundred years before, a few daring pioneers had proven the naysayers wrong by performing trans-ocean flights between Sinnoh and the other regions. Particularly famed for its difficulty – connected to its sheer distance – was the first flight between Unova and Johto.

Nowadays such trips were comparatively easy to make, but still took extensive amounts of time to finish.

The wait gave them a chance to sleep, but sleep came reluctantly to everyone but Iris, who was out like a light an hour after the plane took off. Instead, they had a chance to finally, properly reflect on the events of the days before.

Cilan's concerns related solely to the future, however. Although his situation was akin to Iris'; neither had been out of their home _region ever_ before; she seemed to take the opportunity of breaking new ground in stride; new opportunities to be found and such, whereas he… still had doubts.

Sure, he'd seen a lot of new places and met a lot of new people and Pokémon across his travels with Ash, but he'd still been in Unova; he had still been able to compare everything to what he knew, and call upon his practically encyclopaedic knowledge of the region to help his friends.

Sure, he knew a little about Kanto and the other regions…

_But not a lot._

In the end, several hours later, he simply resolved to learn, research and do what he could to help in this strange new world. He took some comfort in knowing that Ash, on his travels, had done so before several times, and had come out fine.

Dawn's problems, on the other hand, had a lot less to do with Kanto itself and a lot more to do with the raven-haired trainer sitting next to her, also deep in thought.

Sure, she was nervous too about visiting Ash's house… She wondered if he had felt the same when he and Brock had come to visit her in Twinleaf Town.

She still wasn't exactly sure how she felt about him, but it was certainly different about how she felt about some of her other friends, say, Cilan, or, perhaps as a better example, Brock, who she had known for as long as Ash.

Sometimes she just couldn't stop staring at Ash until he would turn around, and then she would catch herself and turn too, often with her face flushed red, avoiding any embarrassment.

She was blushing now, too, and felt fortunate that he was too absorbed in whatever he was thinking about to notice, and that both Pikachu and Piplup were sleeping on their trainers' laps.

Her catchphrase didn't seem to apply much anymore; she seemed to be worrying _a lot._

Eventually, though, the time spent mulling her thoughts over in the plane turned out to be beneficial, as the darkness of the night outside melted once more into the earliest rays of sunshine over the ocean below.

She still wasn't sure, but resolved not to fret about Ash and how she felt about him. She would enjoy the vacation, enjoy the chance to travel with him once again and enjoy the chance to finally see his home town.

_No need to worry._

Ash, on the other hand, arguably had the most layered concerns.

First, and most recently, he still held the slightest worry that he might draw attention to his quaint little home town by bringing the stone to Professor Oak.

He moved his fingers across its etched surface for what must have been the hundredth time, feeling the reassuringly familiar grooves again and again.

This concern was easy to dismiss. The Professor had probably been correct; if they had really wanted to retrieve the stone, they would have done so before he had left for Kanto.

Second, and by no means as easy to evade, were the worries that the struggle over Meloetta's freedom had created.

He was no longer worried for Meloetta's safety; he trusted the Alakazam and the Gallade, and knew that they would protect Meloetta for as long as it remained there.

No. He worried about his own recklessness, and how, once again, it had put himself and – more importantly - his friends, into a trap.

A trap that would have been so easy to avoid. The first wave of Pokémon that they had sent out would probably have been enough to deal with Team Rocket had they not used such dirty tactics, and even if they had still persisted, the psychic, dark and ghost-types would then have had a much easier job clearing the way to rescue Meloetta.

Sure, it had all worked out in the end. But he had caused the problem in the first place, and it hurt to realise that – and to realise that similar events had happened so many times before across the years.

Ash resolved, finally, to be less reckless, more careful on the road to his final goal, like he should have started to be many years ago. Hadn't Brandon warned him, during his challenge of the Battle Frontier? He hadn't properly listened then, but this time his failure stuck in his mind like an arrow in his head. Not that he had any experience of such circumstances.

_I'm not going to fail this time. I will think harder. I will try harder. For my friends…_

Third, and finally, were the nagging feelings that he could not, try as he might, banish. Feelings about one person in particular.

_Feelings about one __**girl**__ in particular._

Cynthia, meanwhile, had worries too. Worries that she had to keep from all of the others, because of how much more she _knew_ than the others…

* * *

_Five days earlier…_

_Cynthia simply stared at her friend, who was barely through her doorway and had already dropped a bombshell of news, unable to believe what he had told her._

"_No… The Pokémon League… Alder... They can't have…"_

"_I'm sorry, but it's the truth." Cameron offered sympathetically. He winced as the wound in his leg caused a pain reaction in his nerves again._

"_What… do we do?" She whispered, trying to recover._

"_I need to talk to Ash." He said. "I came to you for help tracking him down, but if he's here, that's even better._

"_Ash?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Why him? What do you need him for?"_

"_Two things." He replied, and pulled out a stone. "I need this to be delivered to Professor Oak urgently. It was taken from Plasma, and they seemed to hold it in high regard. Might be nothing, but he can get it there quickly and reliably."_

"_All right." She didn't entirely follow his reasoning, but motioned for him to continue. "Go on…"_

"_Secondly…" He paused and sighed. "Lance would like Ash to get involved in the struggle against whoever we're dealing with here. He thinks Ash – and his friends – could be the key to uncovering the whole conspiracy."_

"_But that plan will put them all in terrible danger, if it works at all!" She growled at her friend, whose expression seemed to be becoming unhappier by the second._

"_Lance knows that." Cameron confirmed. "We know that. But I can see why Lance would want Ash's help, given his record…"_

_Cynthia could tell there was something else._

"_And? There's still more." She said, urging him to hurry up._

"_Can't get anything past you, Cyn." He stared past Cynthia through the door that she had come through. "We can't tell him."_

"_Tell him what?" Cynthia was momentarily wrong-footed._

"_We can't tell him about what we've just talked about. Lance was very specific; he can't know what he's in for, or he might try to act, when what we need is what he does __**naturally**__."_

"_Since when did we champions – or ex-champions - stoop to this level of manipulation?" She barked, turning away, then shot back. "And since when did __**Lance**__ start giving orders, and since when did__** you**__ start following them?"_

"_Well, it was voted on…" He replied hesitantly. "Three in favour… with one abstention, and several absentees, including yourself."_

_She turned back around fully, and glared at him, while he stared sadly back at her._

"_Fine." She sighed._

_She began walking back to the living room where Ash, Cilan, Dawn and Iris were having lunch, Cameron following as well as he could on his injured leg._

"_Politics." He heard her frustrated snarl as she reached for the door that led to the others. __**"Politics**__."_

* * *

She couldn't keep the conversation – and the implications and worries it brought with it – out of her mind, no matter how hard she tried.

In the end, Cynthia resolved to do what Cameron had asked her to do last, as he broke off the hug on the Mistralton's airstrip.

"_Protect them."_

_I will._

Hours later, as sun rose higher into the sky, they finally caught a glimpse of their destination over the horizon. Cilan and Iris fought over the window seat as Ash allowed Dawn to take his place.

"Welcome," Ash grinned as the very familiar cliffs – to him, at least – came into sight, marked with trees and other greenery. "To Kanto."

* * *

"_Let your heels point you home."_

_- Ancient Blessing, __**Homeward Path, Commander**_


	9. Reunion

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

First, reviews; I'll address your points in turn.

Nauran; thanks for the reviews and the continued support. That's what I was aiming for with chapter seven, so it's good to hear that I seem to have succeeded.

Julianmarq; thanks for the reviews. In terms of chapter four, I've rewritten that area for clarity – and I also have to particularly thank you for this, given how it fits better now with Cynthia's champion introspective. For a short summary if you don't want to re-read, however;

Alder's injuries were practically non-existent; his Pokémon were overpowered by Reshiram, certainly, but not to a state that Audino's healing at the league's Pokémon centre wasn't able to quickly bring them back to fighting strength. Alder also offered to battle N's conqueror straight after, too, and lost again.

As for the eligibility to challenge a champion for their crown, I've tried to put the plot closer to the games for a reason that'll soon come obvious. Indeed, your suggestion also allowed me to expand more on the differences between each league in relation to the animeverse. As the anime hasn't been entirely clear, I've taken the liberty to assert that some leagues require a conference win to challenge the champion, while others have different methods – even an anime example would be two of the Sinnoh Elite Four's challenges against Cynthia (Aaron and Flint). For the story, winning a conference after obtaining eight badges is one way to guarantee a battle with the Unova champion, but traversing Victory Road and defeating the Elite Four after obtaining eight badges, like in the games, also qualifies, and that's what the new champion did.

In addition, N's battle counted because Alder allowed it to count; he challenged N to test the strength of the truth that he sought to wield; the truth that allowed him to command Reshiram. And he lost, evidently. Alder had the flexibility to make that decision because of his league's rules, but other leagues might not make allowances in the same way.

This'll become much more relevant in later chapters, as you'll soon see.

Thanks again to both of you for the reviews.

* * *

It took only an hour for the plane to touch down after they crossed into Kanto, making it the shortest leg of the overall journey, but that didn't stop Iris complaining out of impatience after only half that time had passed.

Kanto's airport infrastructure was - comparative to the other regions - on-par with Johto's, but both fell far behind that which Unova boasted. This was something of an extension of the traditionalist mentality that held sway throughout the majority of Kanto. Modernisation_ was_ marching on, but at a much reduced pace than in Unova, or even in Sinnoh.

The constant delays and public inquiries that plagued the majority of improvement projects that would be proposed in Kanto drove Lance to his wits' end; he had said so himself to Cynthia the last time that they had met up.

Sure, he had no direct role to play in pushing through the projects, but the word of a champion would normally hold a great deal of influence in matters that they chose to address, and Lance, witnessing the pace at which Unova and even Sinnoh were improving technologically, had decided to make such modernisation a cornerstone of his focus as champion.

Lance did so in the same way that she spent her time promoting the preservation and study of ancient ruins as part of her role, or as Wallace did with his efforts to spread the system of Pokémon contests to other regions; last Cynthia had heard, he would be travelling to Unova soon with that very goal in mind.

One of the more recent of the fruits of Lance's endeavours was the South Kanto Islands Airport, finished just over a year before.

The airport was built on the largest of several islands – previously inhabited by neither people nor Pokémon - to the south-west of Pallet Town, and had taken two years of shipping and construction to be fully complete and operational. It was capable of handling multiple flights per hour on two standard runways, with the option for additional flights via a seaplane "dock" at the island's north; it had been where Ash had departed Kanto for Unova in the first place. In addition, there was a standard dock for ferries to the mainland, arriving near Pallet Town.

Many hailed it as Kanto's greatest step forward since the development of the Magnet Train, and even traditionalists could find little to fault it for; Lance had chosen to advise its specific location very carefully for that reason.

It was here that they arrived in Kanto, and thus here that Dawn, Cilan and Iris took their first steps into the region in which Ash began his journey.

"Look, look!" Iris pointed excitedly as they disembarked at a group of fighting-type Pokémon that were working on runway maintenance with their trainers. "_Machop and Machoke!"_

"Well, yeah, what about them?"

"Ash, you're such a kid! They're _rare_ Pokémon!"

"Not in Kanto, they're pretty common around here." Ash countered crossly.

"And in Sinnoh too." Dawn offered in support.

"They have the Machop evolutionary line helping with construction in Kanto and other such regions, whereas I guess we normally see the Timburr line in Unova…" Cilan deduced. "Fascinating."

Passing through security at Customs was tighter than it had been in Unova, but they all still made it through avoiding lengthy delays. After a brief wait, spent predominantly with Ash and Iris stocking up at the airport shop on high-sugar foods that they had forgotten to bring on the plane journey, the group boarded a ferry with a large group of other travellers, which proceeded to set off at good speed towards the mainland.

During the wait, Cilan had also taken the opportunity to update the files on his tablet for information on the Kanto region, and eagerly began flicking between pages as they crossed the channel on the way to Pallet Town.

Iris leaned over the side of the boat for the entire duration of the short journey, gasping and calling out the varieties of Pokémon that she saw. Cynthia had gone to talk to the captain about something or the other.

"Tentacool! And Horsea! Oh, I really, really want a Horsea! I could evolve it all the way up to Kingdra and… Was that a Seel? I hope not, I'm still not too happy with Ice types… Cilan, are you paying attention?" She looked up. Ash and Dawn had tuned out a while ago; Ash desperately trying to catch a glimpse of Pallet Town over the other side of the boat, and she had no reason to draw them back in. Cilan, on the other hand, had never seen these Pokémon in the flesh before either, and surely should have found their surroundings at the least a little interesting as a Pokémon connoisseur.

"Yeah, sure." He didn't move a muscle, not even to look at he; his eyes were glued to the screen of his tablet as he digested information about the Kanto and Johto league.

"Come on, you can't keep your face buried in that tablet the whole way there. Come look at the Pokémon and do your connoisseur business like you always do!"

"Iris, we're moving a little too fast for that." Cilan finally looked up, smiling a little. "Besides, I'm sure we'll see lots of great Pokémon at Professor Oak's laboratory... And we'll get to see all of Ash's other Pokémon too."

"Of course!" Iris brightened up even further – somehow. "I forgot that he travelled through the other regions first. I wonder if he has any dragons…" She giggled and ran to the other side of the boat to join Ash and Dawn. Cilan watched her go for a moment before contentedly returning to his reading.

"Look Pikachu, we're so close to home now!"

"Pika!" The Mouse Pokémon twitched his ears happily.

"Oi, Ash!" Ash turned as she shouted at him. Said greeting was beginning to become standard when Iris wanted Ash's attention.

"What?"

"So…" She began, sidling up to him and leaning over the edge of the railing. "What Pokémon do you have at Professor Oak's lab, anyway?"

"I've got lots of 'em." Ash kept his reply nonchalant.

"Be specific." Iris cut to the heart of the matter. "Come on, Ash; tell me so I can have something to look forward to!"

"If I told you, then that would ruin the surprise." He shot back. "Plus, think about it. Now you can look forward to _finding out_ what Pokémon I have that Professor Oak looks after!"

"It's not the same!" She grumbled in frustration. "All right, how about this; do you have any _dragon _types there?"

"Well…" He playfully pretended to ponder the question, his hand across his chin. "There might be _one_…" He turned to Dawn and matched her smile, knowing that they were both thinking of the same rambunctious Pokémon.

And apparently Piplup was too, given the way he harrumphed in annoyance. Pikachu patted the water-type in sympathy.

A klaxon went off, alerting the others to the fact that they were only five minutes out from Pallet Town, and would be docking shortly.

Indeed, the view of Pallet Town from the boat was no longer of it on the horizon; looking carefully, one could clearly make out trees, buildings, people and Pokémon.

"Better get back to the others."

"Come on; don't leave me hanging like this!" Iris bawled as the Ash and Dawn walked away from her, back to Cilan and Cynthia. "Guys!"

* * *

Ash, Dawn and Iris were first off the ferry when it reached the dock; Dawn and Iris scrambled over each other as part of a prior agreement to race to see who would stand on mainland Kanto first.

Iris won, perhaps unsurprisingly.

Cilan and Cynthia were last off. Cilan simply couldn't bring himself to push ahead or rush, and Cynthia, recognising how things would end up, went back to accompany him, lightly amused all the while.

Iris, meanwhile, was not amused.

"Come on, Mr. Nice Guy! Do you really _have_ to be this slow?"

"Yes, sure." He still didn't look up from the tablet.

"Oh great, we've lost him again." Iris sighed.

They followed the path out from the dock, past a few shops and houses and then into the rural lanes and countryside that were so familiar to Ash.

Pallet Town was not one big group of buildings that might form the usual notion of a "town" to your average observer, but was instead an assortment of cottages and such spread out across – mostly – farmland. The area around the dock was the primary exception, whilst Professor Oak's laboratory would be the second. The lab easily accounted for over a third of Pallet Town's geographical size, despite housing only two people – but also obviously an impressive number of Pokémon.

It took them only five minutes to reach Ash's house from where they had started walking. Cynthia said that she would go on ahead and alert Professor Oak to their arrival; otherwise it might get a little crowded with so many people visiting at once. Ash protested, but Cynthia demurred, and said that she would meet them all later; with that, she set off up the path to the lab.

The four travellers took a moment to stare at Ash's house before they entered the premises. Well, three did, while Cilan was still a little… distracted.

"Looks homely." Iris commented.

"I like it." Dawn added.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out a well-worn, slightly rusty key, then turned his head to grin at Pikachu on his shoulder. "First one to the door, Pikachu?"

Then he realised that Pikachu hadn't been on his shoulder to begin with.

"Pika!"

He looked back down towards his front door and saw the Mouse Pokémon waving energetically.

"Looks like someone's eager!" He sprinted down the path and picked up Pikachu, placing him carefully on his shoulder. He fitted the key into the lock and turned it once, then twice, then opened the door with a twist of the handle.

"Mom?" He called as he walked inside. None of the lights seemed to be on downstairs, though given the bright sunlight they would have been unnecessary anyway. "Mom, I'm back! Are you home?" They walked through to the kitchen, which was as deserted as the rest of the ground floor. "Guess she's not home. Well," He dropped his bags on the table and motioned for the others to do the same. "Make yourselves at home, I'm sure-"

"Mime Mime!"

The Mr. Mime that Mrs. Ketchum had befriended and took in entered the kitchen, having been upstairs when the quartet and entered. It had thought that the newcomers might be burglars, but had recognised Ash as it reached the kitchen, and now raised its arms in a happy greeting.

"Mr. Mime!" Ash smiled.

Iris screeched. Cilan nearly dropped his tablet.

"Ash, you have a Mr. Mime, they're so rare!" Iris fawned, eyes wide. Cilan was quiet, but was now walking around the rather confused Mr. Mime, examining it closely. Ash and Dawn looked hesitantly at each other, both evidently holding in the urge to laugh out loud.

"Uh, it's not mine." Ash explained. "My mom lets it stay here and it helps with the housework and stuff, it's really good at that kind of stuff. It doesn't, uh, battle too often."

"This Mr. Mime is just exquisite!" Cilan whispered. "The perfect blend of hard work and style forming a brilliant recipe with a peppy cheerfulness that's just like the icing on a cake! Magnificent!"

"Mime… Mr. Mime Mime?" It seemed to be addressing Pikachu. Pikachu shrugged.

"Pika, Pika…"

"My goodness, you're back!" Ash's mom had arrived at the front door, and noticed Ash and Dawn standing inside the house – Cilan and Iris were obscured behind them.

"Mom!" Ash ran out to meet her in a hug at the front door, Pikachu running alongside her.

"Oh, Pikachu, it's been too long!" She cried, scooping up the electric-type in her arms and leaving Ash to fall over at her side.

"Gah!"

"Pika!" Pikachu practically_ purred_ contentedly.

"Every… time…" Ash muttered as he picked himself up off the ground.

"Oh, hi honey!" Delia said sweetly, seemingly noticing her son for the first time. "I wasn't expecting you for another couple of hours, your flight must've been right on time." She noticed the others standing further in the house. "And these must be your friends! Hello there, I've only heard nice things about you all!"

"Hello Mrs. Ketchum, nice to finally meet you in person." Dawn smiled.

"And you must be Iris and Cilan."

"That's right, hi."

"Nice to meet you."

"Thank you for looking after my son in the Unova region." Delia briefly adopted a serious tone, knowing that it would make Ash react in embarrassment.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Mr. Mime departed to resume its chores, this time in the garden. Delia led her son and the other young trainers into the kitchen.

"Look, mom, I actually remembered to buy presents this time." Ash grinned as he offered her the bag.

"Ash, these are amazing, thank you!" She gazed happily at the crystalline Chandelure, and the plush Mr. Mine, then pulled her son into a warm hug, which Pikachu intruded on, though the two didn't mind. "I'm sure Mimey will love the plushie too."

"Glad you like them, mom."

"Now, I'm sure you'll all want to be off to the lab as soon as you can to see Ash's Pokémon, but I'll bet your journey had worked up quite an appetite! Who's up for some of my famous pot pie?"

Ash cheered the loudest, but Iris joined in heartily, having been informed about the virtues of Delia's cooking by Ash en route.

* * *

An hour later and with very full stomachs, the quarter of trainers – plus Axew, Pikachu and Piplup, of course – were on the road to Professor Oak's lab.

"I know you said that your mom's cooking was good, but I didn't think it was that good!" Iris' mouth still seemed to water just thinking about eating more, despite being absolutely sated.

"I know, right?" Ash wasn't entirely focused; he was thinking about what else his mom had said during their visit.

As they had been preparing to leave, thanking her for the food, Delia had suddenly recalled something.

"Oh, silly me, I nearly forgot. Dear, Brock arrived in Pallet Town this morning to meet you; he went down to the lab early to check on all the Pokémon because we didn't expect you to be here so early."

And so they had set off with even greater anticipation for the visit to come, knowing that another friend would await them at their destination.

"I can't wait to see Brock again; I wonder how he's getting on with becoming a Pokémon doctor." Dawn mused.

"I can't wait to meet him!" Cilan added. Iris had persuaded him to put the tablet away for the duration of their visit – and that included the walk to the lab. "I'll bet he knows lots of great recipes… And his Pokémon must be first class if he was a Pokémon breeder when he journeyed with you!"

"Is that it there, Ash?" Dawn asked, pointed at a large building that had just come into view, situated on top of an upcoming hill, fenced by a rock wall and protected by a cast-iron gate. A wind turbine sat on the roof and turned gently in the breeze.

"Yep, that's it."

"Awesome, we're so close!"

"Well, let's hurry up and get there faster! Let's go!" Ash broke into a run; Pikachu jumped off his shoulder and joined him. Pretty soon, all four were running towards the expansive lab before them, the sun shining brightly above their heads. They reached the gate and carefully hauled it open, then sprinted up the path to the front door.

Ash won the "race" with a head start, Pikachu at his side, and Iris close behind. He triumphantly pressed the doorbell and stepped back. Straight into Iris.

"Watch where you're going, Ash!" She grumbled as he stumbled over her. Axew popped out of her hair and looked around, confused and shaken after Iris' running.

"Oops, sorry." He realised that Cilan and Dawn were quite far behind, still coming up the path. "Oops, I think we overdid it a little."

"Eh, they'll catch up."

"Hush and sec and listen." He pointed at the door.

"Coming, coming! Who could that be?" They heard from inside. Ash smiled.

_They don't expect us yet, good thing that mom promised not to phone ahead. They probably still think we're having lunch at my house._

"Coming!" Tracey _eventually _got to the door and opened it, coming face to face with Ash and Iris, the duo still panting from the exertion of running halfway to the lab. "Ash! You're early, Cynthia said you'd be coming soon but we thought you'd be a little longer at your house. And you must be Iris, hi there!"

"Hiya."

Tracey stepped back and let them in, just as Cilan and Dawn finally caught up and were properly introduced to Tracey.

"No… need… to worry…" Dawn breathed hard as Tracey asked if they were okay. Ash giggled as quietly as he could behind her.

Cilan and Dawn, along with Iris, stared around the inside of the lab's entrance hall, already impressed.

"Who is it, Tracey?" Professor Oak as he ascended the steps that led to the lower levels. "Ah, Ash and friends! Do come in, come in."

"It's an honour to meet you, sir!" Cilan practically saluted.

"Thank you, Cilan." Oak replied bashfully. "And hello Iris. It's always nice to meet Ash's friends. Hello, Pikachu." Pikachu waved happily at Oak's mention. "And Dawn too, hello again. How are you and Piplup doing?"

"Very well, thank you!"

As the pleasantries continued, Ash's mind drifted slightly.

_This is one of the best parts about coming home._ He decided. _Having old friends meet new friends…_

Oak led them downstairs where they found Brock and Cynthia sitting with cups of tea. Cilan was thrilled to finally meet the prospective-doctor that he had heard so much about, and for a little while the two were off in a culinary fantasy land, apart from everyone else.

* * *

Tracey produced fresh tea for the newcomers and all eight sat down together to discuss recent events and their plans for the future.

Cynthia updated Ash, Cilan, Dawn and Iris on the latest relevant news; that Lance would be arriving far sooner than he had originally expected, sometime in the coming week.

This was partly due to the expediency required in keeping atop of the situation, partly because, apparently, Lance had a whole in his schedule far earlier than expected – and partly because, as Oak pointed out, it should hardly take three weeks to examine the stone and come to a conclusion based on their findings.

It was at that point in the conversation that Ash handed the small piece of rock over to Oak, feeling its smooth surface one last time before he did so. Oak took a long, thoughtful look at it, and then passed it to Tracey, who did the same.

Both proceeded to say that, from a mere superficial analysis, neither could see anything unusual or remarkable about the object, but that they would of course make sure by subjecting it to further, proper tests and study.

The discussion then turned to growing concerns in Kanto, Johto and Unova alike.

"There haven't been any reports of unusual activity of the kind that you talked about in Unova on the news across both the connected regions." Tracey informed them. "And we haven't seen anything strange in this area, nor anywhere that we've travelled to recently."

"Which suggests that Team Plasma hasn't come to Kanto yet." Cilan observed.

"Indeed. But that doesn't mean we've not got troubles of our own." Oak continued. "As I was just informing the champion," Cynthia nodded. "The activity of Team Rocket and affiliate criminal organisations has remained very limited in the past few months. Almost _too_ limited. Meanwhile, we've seen an increase in police in the streets in several towns and cities across both the Eastern and Western territories, as Brock can personally attest to."

"Not that I'm complaining about all the Officer Jenny's…" Brock commented, a big smile on his face.

"You left Croagunk at the gym, huh?" Dawn asked dryly.

"Uh huh."

"They seem to be getting more serious about everything." Ash added, returning to the topic at hand. "Jessie, James and Meowth were actually pretty tough when we met them in Unova, and they didn't even have a lot of Pokémon."

"Yes, Cynthia already told us about your encounter with them in the White Forest." Oak said. "Most troubling. One can only hope that they'll have stopped there."

"I wouldn't count on it." Dawn said grimly, recalling past experiences.

They then chose to consider lighter matters, though Cynthia decided to step out briefly for a walk and to enjoy the sunshine, while Oak excused himself with the promise to immediately begin a preliminary examination of the delivery that Ash had provided.

"So I guess I'll be going back to Unova for the league, but that's three months away." Ash said.

"And we'll be coming with you!" Iris felt the need to remind him.

"But until then, we've got a lot of time to use up, but not really enough to go on a long journey… I guess we can spend a lot of time training, too."

"Maybe we should keep our options open." Cilan suggested.

"Yeah, but in the short term, we just _have_ to go shopping!" Dawn cried. "Celadon's shops are famous even in Sinnoh!"

Her sudden excitement spooked Axew, who awoke and pushed out of Iris' hair to see what the fuss was about.

"Oh, wow, an Axew! And it's exceptionally docile!" Tracey gasped.

"Ax?"

"Mind if I just draw this little guy quickly?"

Not that Iris had a chance to say "no", as Tracey already had his sketchbook and pencil out and had already started.

"Reminds me just a little of Trip's camera." Iris muttered to Cilan as she blushed in embarrassment at Tracey's close scrutiny.

"Ax.. Axew Ax…"

"Do you guys mind if I come with you?" Brock asked, as Tracey continued drawing and Iris' face grew redder. "I finished my first year finals just last week, so I'll be free for a month or two until I need to start studying properly again."

"Pika!

No-one protested, and the thought of having Brock in the group again cheered everyone – Ash and Dawn in particular – even more than they had been already. Pikachu's reaction sealed it.

"Pika!

"Ash, do you want to come see your Pokémon now?" Tracey asked, finishing his drawing.

Iris got there before he could answer.

"Yes, he does." She jumped up. "Come on, Ash, I've been patient long enough, let us see them!"

"I was going to say yes anyway." He smirked, and got to his feet as well. "I_ have_ been looking forward to seeing the old gang again."

"All right!" Cilan declared. "It's Pokémon time!"

* * *

They walked out into the lab's back garden and briefly stopped to admire the view. The grounds under Oak's nominal stewardship stretched far and wide on all sides, so much so that their limits could not be seen from the lab itself. The water of the lake shimmered in the midday sun as different kinds of water-type Pokémon swam through it or played and relaxed around its edges. The plains were also filled with different Pokémon, many of which caused Cilan and Iris to gasp and whisper together excitedly when they saw them.

"We received Palpitoad, Pignite, Scraggy and Unfezant from Professor Juniper through the transfer machine this morning." Tracey told Ash as they began to walk. "They were a little confused by the change of scenery; Scraggy in particular, but let's just leave it at that."

"Yeah, he's pretty young, he hatched from an egg when I had been in Unova for only a few months."

"Well, Bulbasaur sorted them out quite nicely; I think it's been helping them settle in." Tracey finished. "Ah, look, speak of the-"

Bulbasaur had already jumped into Ash's arms before Tracey had finished his sentence.

"_Saur, Bulbasaur!"_

"Bulbasaur!" Ash hugged it tight, and it extended its vines to wrap around his shoulders happily. "Been keeping everyone in line, huh buddy?" Bulbasaur assented, and then jumped down to greet Pikachu, vine to paw.

"Ash, your Bulbasaur radiates the kind of healthy glow and warmth that I would expect from a dish that originated from the finest of recipes!" Cilan complimented as Iris picked up Bulbasaur. The Seed Pokemon didn't seem to mind, and reached out a vine for Axew to hold as Iris patted it gently across the head. "You two must have had some grand adventures together."

"Hey, buddy, where are all the others?" Ash asked, and Bulbasaur pointed a vine to the right in reply, over a far hill and presumably beyond it.

"Must be that way, I guess." Iris noted.

"They know that you're coming, Ash." Tracey reminded him. "They figured it out after you had Professor Juniper send the others from earlier."

Tracey carefully led the way through the mass of Pokémon onto another path, which proceeded across a hill and then into a woodland area. The road was clear; each and every one of the resident Pokémon seemed to know to avoid it.

They walked for several minutes through the trees – a landscape feature which, personally, Ash was becoming a little sick of after so many years – chatting aimlessly. They saw many Pokémon, but Ash replied to Iris' questioning that he had trained none of them.

"You sure about this, Bulbasaur?" He called back to the one Pokémon he'd so far been able to find. It was walking alongside Pikachu in between Iris and Dawn, waving one vine about to entertain Axew – who was delighted with his new friend - while shaking Piplup's wing.

"Saur!" Bulbasaur seemed very sure, and backed this up with a very wide smile.

"All right." Ash said as he pushed past a slightly obstructive branch and began to look forward again, walking out into a small clearing. "If you're sure, then-"

His sentence was interrupted by a sudden, massive cacophony of noise.

His first thought was of conflict, of Pokémon versus Pokémon, spurred on by memories of the battle against Team Rocket on the plateau only a few days a go.

Then, before he knew it, he was flat on his back on the floor. With a green, quadrupedal Pokémon standing over him happily.

"Bayleef!" He shouted, and climbed up to hug his friend. Bayleef reciprocated the gesture by rearing up on its hind legs.

The din of noise repeated again, and Ash looked past Bayleef to see one, two… Six…

Nearly all of the Pokémon he kept at Professor Oak's lab stood, sat or flew in the clearing. From the way that they reacted to his arrival, they had evidently been waiting for some time to see him.

He spotted Totodile dancing madly. As always. Buizel and Corphish ran up to him, ecstatic at seeing their trainer again.

Infernape beat its chest, and then quickly made its way over to Ash to do the same, simian features breaking into an expression of pure joy at the sight before it. Quilava flared briefly, Torkoal let out a burst of smoke, and then both replicated the Flame Pokémon's intentions.

Sceptile leaned against a tree on the left side. It greeted Ash with a warm wave of a hand, its trademark twig set firmly in its mouth.

Heracross went to hug its trainer enthusiastically, but paused mid-run upon realising Bulbasaur's presence, and made a beeline for the grass-type in pursuit of the sap it so treasured.

Donphan had to fight the urge to roll straight up to him immediately, and instead settled for charging in to join the hug at a reduced pace.

Noctowl hooted. Swellow and Staraptor squawked loudly.

Even Snorlax, right at the back of the clearing, woke up and acknowledged its trainer happily.

The four Pokémon that he had sent from Unova also cheered – in their own ways - at the chance to see him again.

But even all the noise that his Pokémon were making at the time failed to eclipse the volume – and the rapidity - that Iris' voice proceeded to reach seconds later.

"Ash Ash Ash! You have a Gible, you have a Gible, you have a _Gible_!" Iris squealed loudly, practically jumping on top of the Land Shark Pokémon. Of all of Ash's Pokémon, Gible seemed the most oblivious to his return; it had waved briefly at Ash when he had arrived, then returned to standing near-motionless, it's mouth wide open.

"Uh, Iris, you might not wanna-" That was the extent of Ash's warning, for Gible reacted to her presence in its personal space by clamping down on her hair.

Fortunately, it chose to bite the side that Axew was not currently inhabiting. _Small mercies and all that._

"Uh…" The trainers to the rear of the clearing collectively didn't quite know to react to the odd sight, save Cilan, who still seemed enraptured by the spectacle of Ash's assembled Pokémon.

"Woohoo! It bit me! Gible bit me! Yes!" Iris seemed neither harmed nor upset by Gible's action; on the contrary, she seemed all the more encouraged to hug it even more tightly.

"Heh, glad to see you like it…" Ash shrugged and turned back to the other Pokémon who faced him in a tight semi-circle. "I see you've already met some of the guys from Unova – so let's meet the others! Krookodile, Boldore, Snivy, Oshawott and Leavanny, come on out!" He tossed the Poké balls and, within a brief flash of light, five more Pokémon had joined those already in the clearing.

Pikachu and Bulbasaur also moved properly into the clearing, the latter still warding off Heracross, and the collected Pokémon and trainers began to properly mingle.

Krookodile was made welcome immediately by Sceptile and Infernape, the latter two unsure of the newcomer's strength and hoping to test it against their own prowess soon.

Oshawott, accompanied by Piplup, joined in with the antics of Totodile and Corphish; the four energetically produced and splashed water everywhere.

"You okay Cilan?" Ash asked after about ten minutes; he'd managed to go round and catch up personally with most of his old Pokémon by this point, though Bayleef refused to leave him for more than a moment, affectionately rubbing against his leg. "You haven't said a word since we got here."

Cilan took a deep breath.

"Ash…" He began, struggling for words. "Your Pokémon… Their flavour… It's simply brilliant! Like the fruit on the glass of the finest, best kept vintage! Like the culmination of a long-considered and carefully prepared recipe, the dish both looking and tasting exquisite! These Pokémon, their bond with you… It's just magnificent!" He declared, gasping for breath.

"Gee, thanks." Ash was touched by his sentiment.

"If you're wondering, Ash, your Tauros normally get their exercise at this time by stampeding across an open field we keep prepared, so that's why they aren't here." Tracey piped up.

"Ah, I guess that makes sense, I'll go see them later." Ash replied. "Oh, where's Muk?"

"Uh…"

Ash suddenly found himself forced down _onto_ his stomach this time, with a very sticky poison-type Pokémon clinging to him from behind in delight.

"Yeah, we were wondering why Muk's been so quiet since your first batch of Unovan Pokémon arrived. I think it's been lying in wait to do that to you as soon as you mentioned its name." Tracey suggested blithely.

"Ahh, Muk, cut it out! All right, I've missed you too, but please get off me!"

"Better him than us." Tracey muttered to Brock, who silently agreed.

"I love Gible!" Iris screamed, still clutching the bemused dragon-type.

It was the kind of reunion that Ash could have only dreamed of before, and his heart soared at the reality of the situation.

* * *

Ash finally managed to separate himself from Muk – albeit mostly with Bayleef's help. It took some time, however.

They departed nearly two hours later, promising to return again soon. They were seen off by another rousing chorus of roars and cries from the Pokémon.

Ash managed to convince Bayleef to remain behind, and eventually it did so, though only really because of Bulbasaur's excellent powers of persuasion.

Iris, on the other hand, refused to part with Gible, and was now carrying the rather confused Pokémon back up to the lab. Axew was caught between warring curiosity at the possibility of a new friend, and something akin to jealously at a potential competitor for Iris' attention.

They took a short detour to visit Ash's Tauros, who, like the other Pokémon, were extremely happy to see him again. Brock also had the opportunity to explain to Cilan, Dawn and Iris as to how it had come about that Ash had managed to obtain thirty Tauros in the first place, a story which left the two girls having to stifle giggles.

Fortunately for Ash, the Tauros chose not to express that affection this time by stampeding over him.

Returning to the lab, they began to talk about where they would stay while in Pallet Town; Tracey confirmed that the professor had offered a bed to anyone if Delia found her house becoming overcrowded. It was as they discussed this that Brock remembered that he had something else to tell Ash.

It was almost as an offhand remark, and whether that was calculated or not, Brock probably couldn't have realised that its revelation would turn Ash's day from merely _excellent_ to _absolutely amazing_.

"Oh, Ash, I nearly forgot!" He started suddenly as they approached the lab. The sun was beginning to disappear occasionally behind the clouds, having lost its midday lustre. "Misty called me before I left Pewter Town. She said that she'd heard that you'd be back and she'll be coming to visit tomorrow."

The topic of Misty then proceeded to consume the rest of the afternoon, as Ash, Brock and Tracey proceeded to explain to the puzzled others who Misty was and recount numerous stories about their travels with the fiery water-type trainer.

_Only one other person could've made this day perfect._

* * *

_Several thousand miles away…_

The day certainly was _not _going perfectly for a certain trio in a certain far off region, however. _Certainly not._

They had climbed out of the crater in which they had landed very soon after they had hit the ground, but it had still taken James, Jessie and Meowth almost a day to reach a working payphone. A day of near non-stop walking.

They had contacted Doctor Zager and convinced him to put them on a direct line to Giovanni.

"Ultimately, we've failed, sir. The target is beyond our reach and the mecha was destroyed." Jessie finished in summation.

"The pestering twerps are also still at large, sir." James added.

"An annoyance," Giovanni said. "But it will not ruin my plans. Indeed, your confirmation that Team Plasma has been routed in Unova is most helpful."

"Sir, would you like us to continue our pursuit of the trainers that we were following?" Jessie asked, deciding to be a _little _more formal and avoid the word "twerp". _For once._

"We overheard dem talkin' 'bout returning to Kanto when we shadowed dem." Meowth put in.

Giovanni considered this for a moment.

"No, I want you to remain in Unova and keep an eye on how events proceed. As for the trainers… I'll have other agents in Kanto take care of them. Giovanni out." He cut the link.

The Team Rocket trio looked at each other, then set off down the road once more back to civilisation.

It was the first time in a long while that they had had no specific goal or target in mind.

It wasn't a good feeling.

All they had to do was watch and wait.

* * *

"_You helped save my people from a Phyrexian fate. Did you think I wouldn't return the favour?_

_- Eladamri, to Gerrard__**; Heroes' Reunion, Invasion**_


	10. Contest

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Thanks again for the review, Nauran! I'm glad that you're intrigued.

* * *

Ash slept well that night, drifting off peacefully in his own bed for the first time in over a year. The day before had tired him out completely – a difficult feat, in truth – and his dreams revolved primarily around scattered memories of the previous afternoon.

Iris had kept Gible with her for hours, holding it tightly and attempting to interrogate Ash about every moment of its existence so far, such was her infatuation with her new friend. In the end, he had managed to persuade her to take it back to the lab and leave it with the other Pokémon.

"_Ash…"_

When it came down to choosing who would sleep where, Delia was able to offer three beds in the Ketchum house. Ash obviously took one, and by drawing straws did Cilan – everyone insisted that he take a bed after he attempted to offer to withdraw – and Dawn claim the others. Thus, when the afternoon had turned into night and the night began to drag on, Brock, Iris and Tracey returned to Professor Oak's lab to sleep there, and Cynthia was apparently doing the same.

"_Ash…"_

They had spent the night – before and after separating – recounting stories of their adventures across the years. Ash, Brock and Tracey had the most to tell, but the others were able to chip in at times too. Cilan and Iris also showed their Pokémon to Brock and Tracey; the latter was particularly impressed by Excadrill, and nearly a quarter of his subsequent sketches that night happened to be of the Subterrene Pokémon.

"_Ash…"_

He also remembered something vague; a thought or a suggestion, perhaps, relating to Misty. In the haze of sleep, he couldn't quite remember what it was.

"_Ash…"_

_Come to think of it, that sounded quite a lot like Misty. _Ash though, still dreaming. _But that's impossible. _

"_Ash, I swear…"_

_Huh. I must be dreaming. _He decided_. Pity._

"_Pikachu, wake up Mr. Lazypants over there for me please, will you?"_

Ash suddenly found himself in a great deal of pain, surprise and shock leading him to jump upwards and sideways in alarm. Straight off the side of his bed, in fact.

"Well, that worked."

And everything was immediately very clear to Ash. Too clear for eight o'clock in the morning.

"Misty… whassgoingon?" He managed to slur, his body a little slow to react as he picked himself up off the floor and looked at the redhead who stood in the doorway of his room.

"Morning to you too." She answered sweetly, as though this were not the first time she had spoken to him since he had left for Unova – and even that had been for the first time in a year, and had been via the picture phone, not in person. She cradled a certain content Pikachu in her arms, who matched her serene expression.

"It's eight o'clock." He whined, his mouth catching up to his brain at last. "Why…?"

"Dawn told me about how she wanted to go to Celadon today, and we need to leave early if we want to get there before midday, so hurry up." Misty replied, turning to leave the room. "Oh, and take a shower." She added. "You're not on the road anymore, you don't have that excuse."

"Dawn's up?" Ash struggled briefly with the urge to climb back under his warm, soft duvet and fall asleep again, but sighed and headed for the bathroom instead. "Fine…"

Dawn, it transpired, had been up since_ six._ She told Ash so as he walked into the kitchen half an hour later, drying his hair off with a towel. She sat opposite to Misty at the dinner table, and the two seemed to have been getting to know each other with the time that they had, occasionally ceasing to chat to eat mouthfuls of breakfast. Misty appeared to have already taken a particular shine to Piplup, though given his water-typing, that was perhaps to be expected. Cilan was at the stove, and passed Ash a plate of pancakes as he entered the kitchen and greeted the others.

"Pecha berry sauce, too?" Ash's mouth watered at the meal before him.

"Your favourite, of course." Cilan grinned.

"You're the best, Cilan." Ash said as he began to dig in, then paused. "Oh, where's mom?"

"She popped out to the nursery before you got up; she said she won't be back until we'll be in Celadon. She left a shopping list." Dawn informed him, grimacing as she pointed to a rather lengthy list, crammed onto a small piece of paper on the table.

Ash shrugged and started eating, while Pikachu happily accepted a bowl of Pokémon food from Cilan to match the one that Piplup had nearly finished.

"I see he hasn't changed his eating habits, then." Misty commented as she watched whole pancakes disappear into Ash's maw.

"It's not my fault I have a healthy appetite."

"Heh, yeah, healthy, sure."

Dawn giggled and began recounting a story about how Ash and Pikachu had eaten too much once in Sinnoh, and had been forced to lay down for nearly two hours, complaining all the while.

Ash didn't bother to interrupt and simply allowed them to carry on gossiping. He used the distraction to properly observe Misty, now freed from the last vestiges of sleep by the sharp heat of the shower he had taken.

Her clothes were different from what he remembered; her outfit, whether it was new or not, seemed to be a mix of the two that he had seen her wear before, combining a yellow top akin to her second outfit – except sleeveless and hooded – with blue shorts similar to her first.

Her hair was still fixed in the same way that he had always seen it; the ponytail hanging neatly to her left side.

She looked older and calmer, but he could see the Misty he knew from her mannerisms alone.

She nearly caught his stare as Dawn's tale came to an end, but he managed to avert his eyes to his food, and then look back up to catch _her _gaze.

"You must've gotten into Pallet Town pretty early, Misty." He prompted through a mouthful of pancake.

She nodded, and seemed tempted to yell at him for spraying food everywhere as he talked, but restrained herself.

"Mmhmm. I arrived at seven; Dawn opened the door."

_That line of conversation ended fast._

"Oh, okay. Well, when are we going?"

"Cynthia stopped by just before Misty got you up." Cilan put in from behind Ash. "She's agreed to give us a lift there, and back in the evening."

"She said that she has some stuff to do in Saffron City." Dawn added.

"Fair enough, that's pretty nice of her." Ash finally finished the last of his pancakes, burping loudly to everyone's general disgust as he did so. "Oh," He started, standing up. "If we've only got about an hour, I'd better go pick my Pokémon up from the lab, I left 'em all there to get to know each other yesterday." He bent down to let Pikachu, who had just finished eating too, onto his shoulder. "Anybody want to come with?"

Cilan and Dawn demurred, explaining that Dawn would be showing the connoisseur how to make her speciality poffin before they departed.

"I will; I'd love to see your Pokémon." Misty offered. They exchanged a smile and departed, waving goodbye to the two who were staying as they did so.

* * *

The morning was cool, the weather calm and the wind glowing gently. The temperature would undoubtedly rise as time passed, but the refreshing breeze was a welcome part of having to be up so early.

The first five minutes of their walk passed in a complete, awkward silence. Both used the time to reflect and gather their thoughts.

Misty broke the silence first.

"Three years, Ash…"

"Huh?"

"Three years. It's been more than three years since we last met face to face, and you've only called to say "hi" once in that time."

"I… uh…"

Misty wasn't smiling anymore.

"You could've called a little more, at least. Or come to say hi before you left for Unova. Or even Sinnoh. But you didn't…"

"Misty, listen, I…"

"No, you listen." She snapped at him, coming to a halt, balling up her fists. "I know you're always busy, I know you've always got to go further to reach your goal. I get that. We all do, honestly. But can't you just step back sometimes and talk to the people who had to stay behind? We still exist, you know… Me, Tracey, your mom. We miss you." Her tone suggested that a mix of deep anger and sadness lay behind the look that she wore as a mask, her outward annoyance alone not betraying the hurt that she felt inside.

It took Ash a minute of standing still, stunned by her outburst, to formulate a coherent response. Pikachu sat unmoving on his shoulder, unsure what to think about this awkward moment between his partner and a good friend.

He noted that even now, as angry as she was, her expression was no harsher than it had ever been during their journey all those years ago. Even now, she was still in control. No tears, no hysterics.

"I'm… sorry." He began, and her expression softened slightly. "I didn't realise you felt this way. I mean, I always think about the stuff I've done, but never really dwell on it, y'know? I never forget, but I guess I don't ever really stop looking to the future…"

"That's what makes you who you are, Ash." She replied, her tone becoming kinder, softer. "We wouldn't ask you to change that. But…"

"But you_ are_ right." He cut in. "I leave people behind. I don't go back anywhere near enough to the friends who can't stay with me anymore. You're absolutely right, Misty, and I promise that from now on, I will keep in touch. I will actually remember to catch up, a lot more often than once every three years. I promise. And I'll have Pikachu keep me to it; won't I, buddy?"

"Piika!" Pikachu dragged out the first syllable in a determined affirmation.

Misty was smiling again.

"Thanks, Ash. And with Pikachu backing you up, I'm sure you'll keep to it."

He returned the smile as she leaned in and tickled Pikachu on the chin, earning a warm purr from the Mouse Pokémon.

"Looks like you've grown up a little bit then, at least." She teased as they started walking to the lab again, picking up the pace a little to make up for lost time,. "Even if your appetite's stayed the same."

"I'm full of surprises. So how has life been as a gym leader?" He asked then shrugged at her confusion at his sudden change of topic. "Might as well start catching up now."

"Honestly? It hasn't been that bad." She admitted. "I mean, I miss travelling, but we get a lot of challenges for the gym, so it's not like it gets boring staying in Cerulean all the time. Plus,_ I think _my sisters have realised pretty recently how much weight it takes off their schedules for me to be the full-time gym leader, so_ I think _they've been treating me a little nicer overall."

"That's good to hear." He remarked.

"And you've got eight badges in Unova, right? Tracey told me." She explained as he looked at her quizzically.

"Yeah, just waiting for the conference in three months now, not sure what we'll do until then."

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

They had reached the front gate of Oak's lab when something occurred to Ash.

"Why'd you wait until now to tell me how you feel?" He asked as they walked up the path. "It looked like you were bursting to say it, but only after we left the house."

"I'd didn't want to say it in front of Cilan and Dawn, because if we started arguing then they could be dragged into it." She said, knocking on the lab's door. "Though I shouldn't have worried, clearly." She smiled, and then winked. "Plus, you'd only just got up. I wanted to make sure you were awake. Otherwise I might have needed to repeat it."

"Fair enough." He shook his head, and followed her inside as Tracey opened the door.

* * *

They passed through the lab itself, stopping only briefly to assure Brock, Cynthia and Iris that they would meet them outside Ash's house in half an hour, and that they would not be late. Tracey and Professor Oak were already working on the stone, as early as it was, and thus were nowhere to be seen.

Now that Ash knew the way, the walk back to where his Pokémon were staying took very little time for the two of them, and they walked into the clearing to greet the assembled horde.

Misty gasped upon seeing Buizel and Oshawott, and for a moment Ash feared that he would have another repeat of the "Gible situation" on his hands, but Misty's will was apparently slightly more tempered, as she restrained herself, and simply marvelled at the Pokémon, that she had previously never seen in the flesh, standing before her.

Some of his Pokémon happily received his visit with as much genuine enthusiasm as they had shown the day before; Bayleef chief among them.

Some, however, feared what would come next. That Ash would pick his chosen team, and after a few heartfelt goodbyes, go off on another adventure and leave them alone for several more years.

Or leave them all at the lab, except for Pikachu. As he had done twice before.

Infernape in particular had found it hard to accept, but plenty of patient counselling from Bulbasaur – and sparring with Sceptile – had allowed it to forgive Ash.

It wasn't sure if it could do so after _another _year.

Ash signalled for quiet, though there was a significant delay between his request and its fulfilment, in part due to the size of the crowd.

Still, they all wanted to hear what he had to say.

"All right, all right. First, I've gotta say that it's been great seeing all of you guys again, it really has."

Those who had been at the lab for several years almost visibly tensed. They had heard this before.

"Second, I've got to apologise."

Now_ this_ was new.

"I've been coming and going since I started my journey. I've travelled with all of you at some point or another – some for far long than others." Kingler, Muk and the Tauros herd leader received particularly sympathetic glances from the rest of Ash's older Pokémon. "But each time I come back, I've just been leaving more and more of you here, and then heading off with Pikachu on a new adventure each time. That was wrong of me, and I'm sorry."

Pikachu rubbed his head awkwardly, but none of the others were glaring jealously at him as he might have expected. They were all concentrating on listening toAsh _very_ carefully.

"And from now on I'm going to change."

Ash paused for a moment. An eerie silence had descended over the clearing, and his Pokémon were staring at him in bemused – yet hopeful – disbelief.

Misty, too, stood silently, caught unaware by Ash's speech. He hadn't told her of his intentions on the way to the clearing.

He'd hoped to happily surprise her, Pikachu and the others.

"I'm going to keep a full team, this time." He started again. "I don't know exactly where I'll be going over the next three months, until the Unova League begins, but I'm sure they'll be lots of opportunities to battle on the way. And I'm not just going to pick five of you and leave the rest here for that time. I'm going to rotate like I have done in Unova; ask Snivy, Palpitoad, Unfezant or any of the others if you want to know how that works. I promise, I'm going to try my hardest with all of you, and I'm sure we can win the conference in three months' time!"

The silence persisted. Many of the Pokémon thought it too good true.

"I guess the question is, then…" He continued, a wry smile shaping his features. "Who wants to come _first_?"

The silence ended in a massive uproar of excitement as the din returned. Ash was swamped by his most eager Pokémon once again, as even those with more restraint surged forward to embrace him.

Misty looked at the spectacle, proud of her friend and his decision.

Neither of them could know it then, but would realise later it - in three months' time, it was _one_ of several factors that made_ all_ of the difference.

* * *

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"Iris, come on!" Ash shouted at the prospective dragon master as everyone was thrown into their seatbelts by the sudden swerve Cynthia accidentally performed after hearing Iris' scream.

Fortunately, they were still on the country road, and the Sinnoh champion was more than enough of a competent driver to correct their course before they dove off the road.

"Sorry, sorry! But I'm just so glad you brought Gible along!"

"We know…" Everyone else in the middle and back rows chorused, while Cynthia shook her head and Brock sighed.

"Pika pika…"

"Piiiip…"

"Ax…"

"You've only said so, maybe… twenty times?" Dawn remarked.

Choosing a team had been harder than he had expected, primarily because of the time constraints. Still, he got there in the end.

Bayleef invited itself, and he just couldn't say no.

He chose Kingler, appreciating how long it had been since it had been given the chance to battle, or even leave the lab, for some time. It had been ill during the Sinnoh Conference, and it cracked its claw together happily at its inclusion.

He had picked Gible, partly because he knew that Iris would have murdered him if he had not, but also because he wanted to work more on perfecting its attacks.

Unfezant was next; Ash remembered his vow back in Unova to never leave a lab again without a flying-type Pokémon.

Infernape rounded out the team for its power and attacks, and it too expressed great joy at being able to travel again.

The walk back to Ash's house had been somewhat rushed but otherwise pleasant, both in terms of the weather and the company. In fact, the heat became oppressive just _after _they got into the car.

_Having air conditioning in cars is __**so **__awesome in summer._

Cynthia had managed to procure their transport for the journey the day before, presumably by using her many and varied connections. The vehicle was rugged, and outwardly unsightly, but did its job well enough, and its built-in AC and very soft seats certainly made it comfortable to ride in.

Except whenever Iris got a little overexcited and surprised the driver – i.e. Cynthia.

This had occurred three times now - though only two had been down outbursts from Iris.

The car was huge, with three rows of seats, allowing for two to sit in the front, three in the middle and three in the back.

Brock called shotgun as soon as Cynthia announced she was driving.

Misty sat right behind him, in the second row with Ash and Dawn, swearing that if he tried anything she'd show no mercy in going for his ear. Pikachu and Piplup sat on their partners' laps, though Pikachu, to Ash's vague annoyance, occasionally bounced over to sit with Misty.

This left Cilan and Iris to the back seat, with room to spread out.

Cilan used that room to let Jigglypuff and Pansage out of their Poké Balls, intending to see they would enjoy the poffins that he had created with Dawn's guidance. Unsurprisingly, given his A-class connoisseur status and excellent knowledge of his own Pokémon, they adored them.

An unfortunate, _unintended _side effect of that action occurred twenty minutes later, however, when Brock happened to glance in the central mirror and spotted Jigglypuff in the back seat. It is worth knowing that he had yet to be introduced to Cilan's Jigglypuff.

His sudden – albeit brief – panic accounted for the other time that Cynthia _nearly _went off the road.

By the end of the entire escapade, Cynthia swore to limit the number of Pokémon that would be sent out in any car that she drove in the future. _And perhaps put a limit on people, too…_

All in all, the drive to Celadon City from Pallet Town took _just _under three hours, allowing them to arrive _just _before midday.

They drove north then east, slowing very slightly when passing through Viridian and Pewter due to a small amount of traffic, but reaching Mount Moon relatively quickly. The car was easily capable of going off road, and though she had to be a little more careful than normal, Cynthia made the sharp turns with practiced skill.

They flashed south through Cerulean City – avoiding the gym, much to Misty's chagrin – and then went south through Saffron City, getting a glimpse of the Magnet Train as they went over a connecting bridge.

The overall lack of traffic intrigued Cilan and Iris. The two Unova natives were used to an impressive, albeit not particularly healthy, stream of vehicles making their way through at least their busiest towns and cities; Cilan especially found it particularly jarring.

Ash explained that people in Kanto generally found other ways to travel that did not involve noisy, petrol producing four wheel drives; Pokémon being a more common mode of transport in Kanto than Unova.

_Times __**are**__ changing, though._ He mused after, recalling Scott's car and terrible driving during his conquest of the Battle Frontier.

They were beyond Saffron and, before they knew it, they were in the limits of Celadon City. After ten more minutes of confused navigation using the inbuilt GPS, Cynthia dropped them off on a lane that connected onto the Celadon high street.

"I'll be back to pick you up at five." Cynthia reminded them as they piled out. "Have fun."

"Oh, Cynthia!" Brock whimpered, stretching out his hands. "My enjoyment of this day will be irrevocably dented by your absence, and- aargh!"

"Enough of that." Misty growled, dragging him away by the ear. "Or your ear's going to end up dented…"

* * *

The subsequent shopping trip turned out to be shorter than their plushie binge in Mistralton City for two reasons.

First, neither Cilan, Dawn nor Misty found very much that they had to debate over buying. Dawn picked up some new seals and spent twenty minutes ensconced with Misty around a changing room, trying to decide whether or not a dress that she had spotted was _her._

It turned out not to be, in the end.

_That_ bet won Ash a note from Brock, which he promptly spent on vending machine fodder.

Iris' catchphrase found common use that day.

Cilan picked up a few cookbooks, and perused the wares of the local department store, before moving on to a nearby market. He walked out having purchased a rather large basket full of berries, and a few trinkets to send back to his brothers at the Striaton Gym.

Misty primarily showed Dawn around, but took a little time to stock up on a few essentials for the Cerulean Gym, as well as a few notepads and fancy pens. She refused to answer Ash when he asked her what they were for, diverting the subject to another set of vending machines which he gleefully advanced to.

Brock followed Cilan to the market and purchased a similar quantity of soft fruit. He also took the chance to offer to exchange recipes with the connoisseur, the prospects of which Cilan happily accepted.

All in all, Ash and Iris did the least shopping. Ash did remember to find everything on his mom's shopping list, though only really because of Pikachu's unusually sage guidance. Iris happened to notice a woodcarver when following Brock and Cilan around at the market, and managed to buy a well-crafted chunk in the image of Dragonite, which she fiercely defended from any of Ash's criticism; again, invoking her catchphrase with alarming frequency.

Still, finding what they were looking for with surprising alacrity was only one reason for their shopping time being cut short.

They were taking a quick break to have lunch in a sizeable park square, directly in the middle of the city. The open space and flourishing greenery stood in stark contrast to the surrounding metal monstrosities, though, given a plaque at the entrance which marked out the park's protected status, it was a contrast that would not soon be diminishing.

The sun was up yet again, and many people were out picnicking, playing and generally making the most of the time of year. No clouds blotted the sky overheard, providing a dreamy blue backdrop to the boxed-in landscape.

It was a reasonably perfect day.

"Step right up, folks, because in just twenty short minutes this whole park square will be transformed into a battle zone!" The voice over the loudspeaker drew everyone's attention from their food. People stopped running to listen. Kites fell out of the sky as children – and a few adults – lost focus. "That's right! We at Tag Battle Tournaments are holding a Sixteen Team Tag Battle Fiesta, right here, right now, and we need you Pokémon trainers to help us make it work! So, if you have at least four of your Pokémon with you at this current time, just come up to the stand here in the centre of the park and sign up, and you could be in with the chance of winning a secret prize!"

The speaker cut out as quickly as he had begun. It seemed that brevity was important to whoever was shouting.

A crowd began to gather around the middle of the park, as a small team of workers laid down a useable, league-regulation field out onto the grass, markings and all.

"A tag battle tournament, huh?" Iris considered for a moment, then bolted up. "All right, we're entering!"

"Aww, but shopping…" Dawn moaned, but Iris was having none of it.

"C'mon, we've been through loads already and you've got some souvenirs. Why not cap off those memories with a few battles?"

"Sounds good to me." Ash agreed, standing up.

"All right, I'm with you!"

"Uh, wha- Iris, I kinda wanted to-"

"Gible." She said menacingly. He nodded slowly.

"Oh… Kay…"

"Good!" Iris' tone reverted to almost sickening sweetness.

"I'll partner with you if you'd like, Dawn." Misty offered, finishing the last of a bread roll and standing up too.

"Oh, all right, I guess my Pokémon could use a workout anyway."

Cilan looked over to Brock, who shook his head, his mouth full of water.

"Sorry, Cilan." He said, gulping down the last of his drink. "I only took Crobat with me when I left for Pallet Town."

"That's okay, I guess I'll evaluate the Pokémon on the battlefield instead!" Cilan declared. "Plus, I guess someone's got to look after our stuff while people are battling and such…"

"C'mon, we'd better go register!" Iris cried, dragging Ash with her. "That big crowd might get there before us!"

"H-hey, wait! Iris, I wasn't done eating!"

"Tough, you took too long."

Pikachu made the most of his failure by finishing off the last of his ketchup-covered spaghetti. Dawn and Misty followed at a slower pace, followed by Brock and Cilan who carried the group's belongings.

* * *

As it turned out, the teams that Ash and Iris, and Dawn and Misty put together were the last to register for the sixteen battle tournament, although a prominent section of the crowd was only there to watch anyway, as many did not have enough Pokémon on them to qualify, or could not find a partner.

The registration was conducted with as much efficiency as the announcement and creation of the field had been. Upon confirming that they had four Pokémon each with them, the former team were given the number fifteen and told that they would be in the second matchup; the latter were given the number sixteen and told that they would be battling first.

"Okay, folks, we're almost ready to go here." The loudspeaker returned, drawing everyone's attention once more. "Just to remind you of our standard rules, of course: each trainer may use one Pokémon each, and the battle is over when both Pokémon on one team have fainted, or after ten minutes; whichever occurs first. Apart from that, it's no holds barred, so good luck to all participants, and thank you all for attending this event!" The announcer paused for breath. "Now, would teams five and sixteen please step forward onto the blue and red corners respectively!"

Dawn and Misty took their positions, facing off against two heavily tattooed, leather-wearing men; probably in their early thirties, and sporting identical black haircuts.

"We have the team of Mike and Daz up against the team of Dawn and Misty! I doubt I need to remind you that this Misty is none other than the gym leader of Cerulean City!" A cheer arose from the crowd, which Ash and the others heartedly joined in on.

"It'll still be a piece of cake battling a bunch of girls like you, no matter what gym one of you might run." One of their opponents sneered.

"Excuse me?" Dawn glared across the field.

"You heard me." The biker spat back.

"They do look pretty tough." Brock admitted.

"We'll just see how they treat their Pokémon though…" Cilan said thoughtfully.

"Misty's keeping her cool, that's good. Dawn's getting a little fired up by the banter though."

"Let's try to keep the tension to the battle itself, trainers! And now, will you please reveal your Pokémon!" The announcer boomed.

Four Poké Balls flew up into the air at once, bursting out with four separate flashes of light to reveal four different Pokémon.

"The blue team starts off with Espeon and Kabutops, while the red team leads with Quilava and Starmie!" The announcer declared. "Begin!"

"Espeon, start off with Calm Mind!"

The Sun Pokémon tensed slightly, and its eyes began to shine; a glow shortly matched by the stunning jewel on its forehead.

Dawn had been reaching for her Pokédex to check up on the rare Kabutops, but thought better of it.

"Quilava, hit it with Eruption while it's vulnerable!"

Quilava sent a blast of flame towards the cat-like Pokémon, which was in no position to avoid it. However…

"Get in the way with Aqua Jet, Kabutops!" The other biker cried. Espeon's partner shot across the battlefield, intercepting and dissipating the powerful gout of flame, its dual-typing protecting it from most of the harmful effects.

"An early Eruption with no damage on Quilava would have meant a great deal of pain, so it's unfortunate that it didn't get through." Brock commented, something that the announcer repeated nearly word for word moments later.

Kabutops swung back round for a super-effective hit on Quilava, but found its way blocked by Starmie.

"Starmie, Hydro Pump!"

The sheer force of the torrent of water sent Kabutops flying back to the edge of the pitch, struggling to get up.

"Keep up the pressure with Swift, Quilava!"

Espeon's trainer decided to make its presence known.

"Stop Starmie with Psychic!"

Starmie found itself unable to move, held motionless in mid-air and surrounded with a blue aura that echoed the colour that Espeon now radiated.

"Starmie, break free with your own Psychic!"

Meanwhile, Kabutops simply shrugged off Quilava's Swift.

"Crush it with Ancientpower!" The second biker roared. Kabutops slashed the ground with its massive scythes, sending huge chunks of rock into the air and down again, falling towards Quilava too fast for it to dodge.

"Quilava, no!" Dawn cried as Quilava was briefly entombed. It burst out seconds later, but it was clear that it had suffered heavy damage from the super effective attack.

"Starmie, no!" Misty added her voice to the fear, realising that Starmie was unable to break free of Espeon's mental grip.

"This is bad," Brock started. "Espeon-"

"Espeon's Calm Mind has boosted its power far past Starmie's at this point, folks!" The announcer told the crowd. "Is this the end for it?"

"Stole my thunder." Brock grumbled, receiving a pat from Pikachu at his side.

"Play with it, Espeon." The first biker sneered.

With a flick of its tail, Espeon sent Starmie spinning in the air, then crashing into the ground shortly after.

Starmie emerged, shaken, but holding on.

"Recover, quickly!"

Starmie's own core jewel began to glow as it charged its power.

"Stop it, Espeon with-"

"No need to worry! Quilava, help Starmie out with a Flame Wheel!" Dawn ordered, realising that Starmie had to heal itself if it was going to be of any help in the battle.

Espeon was too slow to avoid the hit and Kabutops was too slow to protect it. Quilava struck it across the front of its body with its encircling flames – the defensive benefits of Calm Mind of no use against a physical attack.

Starmie finished glowing, and looked much more refreshed now than it had been.

"All right, way to go, Starmie!" Misty cheered. "Now let's deal with Kabutops – Ice Beam!"

Emitting its whirling cry, Starmie span briefly, then unleashed a beam of ice against its unsuspecting enemy. With Espeon briefly stunned, it received no aid, and took the hit hard; Starmie's rejuvenated power left it out cold from the chilling move.

"Kabutops, no! This can't be!"

"An excellent display of teamwork from the trainers of the Red Team! That's really what these battles are all about, after all!"

"Espeon, you can take 'em!" The first biker encouraged, but he no longer sounded anywhere near as cocky as he had been at the start.

"Let's finish this, Misty!"

"Yeah! Starmie, use Thunderbolt!"

"Quilava, Flame Wheel, one more time!"

Hit with two powerful attacks, one after the other, Espeon could not hold on, and was sent flying, clearly unconscious.

"That's it! An epic battle! The first round goes to the Red Team of Dawn and Misty! Congratulations!"

The crowd cheered, and they cheered_ hard_ for the duo.

Dawn and Misty high-fived, and thanked and returned their Pokémon. They smirked in the direction of the dejected bikers, then left the battlefield to return to where the others sat for the moment.

They passed Ash and Iris on the way, who had been called up to the pitch by the announcer. They exchanged "good luck" and "great job"; the former to the latter team, and the latter to the former team. Misty also took Pikachu from Ash at his urging; he'd be giving Pikachu a rest.

"That was exquisite teamwork indeed!" Cilan complimented Dawn and Misty as they returned. "Your Pokémon worked in perfect tandem, like two chefs crafting the perfect recipe and being the first to jointly taste the results, like-"

He was interrupted by the loudspeaker again.

"Next up in round one, we have team fifteen – Ash and Iris – in the blue corner, and team eleven – Bob and Carol – in the red, so let's give them a big cheer as they send their Pokémon out!"

* * *

Ash reached for Infernape's Poké Ball, but stopped when he realised that Iris was staring at him. Staring _hard._

Over on the other side, the two older trainers – they might even have been married – had already chosen their Pokémon, and were waiting for their opponents to signal that they were ready.

"Fine." He sighed, and picked again.

Three balls went up in the air. Three balls and one dragon.

On the opposing side, a Sunflora and a Flaafy emerged into the bright sunlight.

Gible stood, bemused by its summoning for the competition, next to Axew, who greeted its fellow dragon-type excitedly.

"Now that is impressive!" The announcer declared. "A Gible, native to Sinnoh, and an Axew, hailing from Unova! These two are a long way from home!" Another pause, allowing for the crowd's anticipation to build a little more before starting the battle. "Begin!"

If they had been anticipating an impressive battle, they certainly did not receive it.

"Sunflora, start charging Solarbeam!" The woman ordered.

"Flaafy, stop those dragons from getting near to Sunflora while it prepares its attack!" The man added.

Sunflora started drawing in sunlight, though it was not able to fire it with particular expedience; the sun was not bright enough for that. Flaafy took a guarding position, protecting the grass type with its height and bulk.

All of which ended up being almost completely pointless, in the end.

"Gible, let's start off with a bang! Draco Meteor!" Ash called for Gible's strongest move.

Over on the side lines, Piplup took cover behind Pikachu.

Over Iris' cry of excitement, Gible fired off a blast of energy into the sky. It split into seven smaller fragments, which cascaded down from the sky towards the red corner.

Probably more by chance than judgment, all of the hits completely bypassed the unsuspecting Flaafy, and smashed directly into the Pokémon that, while charging, had no chance to avoid them; Sunflora.

When the smoke cleared, Sunflora was down and out.

"No!"

"No!"

"Yes! Great job, Gible!"

"Oh my gosh, that Draco Meteor was amazing!"

"Iris, focus!"

"What a powerful display!" The announcer was barely able to express his amazement. "I don't think anyone was expecting such a quick knock-out!"

"Flaafy, avenge my dear's Sunflora, use Wild Charge!"

The pink and fluffy electric type made a beeline towards Gible.

"Axew, show 'em what you're made of, Giga Impact!"

"Aaaaxewwwwwww!"

Encased in a rush of glowing purple energy, Axew shot towards Flaafy with as loud a roar as it could muster.

The two attacks collided with another explosion.

Axew's stronger move, and its greater power, won out.

Flaafy fell in a heap next to Sunflora, while Axew landed back next to Gible, exhausted but proud and standing.

"Truly remarkable! These two dragon-type Pokémon have ended the battle in less than a minute! Such power!" The announcer marvelled.

Ash and Iris thanked their opponents over the crowd's deafening cheer, then walked back to their place in the crowd, receiving the praise of their impressed friends. Iris refused to allow Ash to return Gible to its ball, and instead insisted on holding it until their next battle.

They watched the six other battles in round one. Some ended quickly, others took time, but none finished so fast as team fifteen's did.

Upon the conclusion of the first round, the field was cleaned quickly after the last match had involved an Electrode exploding, knocking out all but its partner, who had used Protect, and covering the field in thick smoke.

The time was used to announce the draw for the second round, which the teams of Ash and Iris, and Dawn and Misty, waited for with baited breath.

"Team sixteen will go on to battle… Team two!"

Misty and Dawn looked across from their position, recognising a man with long, white hair who had used a Machamp to dominate in the first round, partnered alongside a young girl – his granddaughter, perhaps? – who had used a Blissey to support.

"Team fifteen will go on to battle… Team nine!"

Ash and Iris looked left, picking out a pair of hooded trainers who had each fielded a Scizor in the first round.

"Bet they both use the same Pokémon again…" Ash whispered to Iris, who nodded.

_Ah well, our Pokémon did great in the first round._ He decided not to worry. _How hard can it be?_

_Uh oh. Famous last words._

* * *

_The instinct for survival makes enemies of all._

_**- Feral Contest, Worldwake**_


	11. Victory

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Thanks again for reviewing, Nauran!

* * *

As it turned out, Ash had _nothing _to worry about regarding the second round.

Iris demanded that Ash use Gible again, but he gently reminded her as they took their positions on the red side of that battlefield that they had to use different Pokémon each round, and that those were the rules.

Iris pouted for a while, but accepted it without further complaint.

With that restriction in mind, she chose Emolga, while Ash called upon Bayleef. It took a little time for him to convince his Pokémon to get out on the field as opposed to hugging him, but it eventually acquiesced.

Emolga curiously observed Bayleef's behaviour, wondering if it would be worth trying the same with its own trainer.

Their opponents on the blue side decided to use the same tactic as before, only this time with a pair of Poliwrath.

These Poliwrath turned out to be – physically at least - the same as each other.

_Exactly_ the same.

This included gender; both happened to be male.

So when Iris had Emolga open the battle with Attract, both of the Tadpole Pokémon immediately became hopelessly in love with their electric/flying adversary.

The bemused blue team attempted at first to order, then plead, then beg their Pokémon to obey, but they stood rock solid, captivated by Emolga's "beauty", and took the Razor Leafs, Discharges, Vine Whips and Hidden Powers that promptly flew in their direction.

If anything, it was remarkable that they lasted more than twenty seconds under the massed barrage of thunder and grass type attacks, but both eventually went down. Ash and Iris left the field after thanking their dejected opponents, though to far less cheering than they had in round one. They weren't being booed, but the crowd seemed a little unsatisfied with this victory, as if it had been a little_ too_ easy.

It reminded Ash of his battle against Clay back in Unova in Driftveil City, and his shame at the gym leader's rage at losing one round to Snivy's Attract.

In any case, at least they won, and Attract was Emolga's favourite battle strategy, Volt Switch hardly counting as a viable strategy.

Dawn and Misty had the last battle in the round, and they faced a Delibird and a Golem. The grandfather and granddaughter who comprised the red team used the same strategy as they had in the first round, only with different Pokémon; this time, the Golem did the heaviest hitting, while the Delibird focused on support using Present to heal – despite the supposedly high chance to explode.

Said plan of action succeeded for nearly five minutes, and Dawn's Togekiss and Misty's Staryu were beginning to become worn out by the need to evade Golem's powerful attacks and still try to chase down Delibird.

What brought the battle to a close – in Dawn and Misty's favour – was, ironically, Present backfiring. The Delivery Pokémon plucked another gift out of its sack and tossed it at Golem after a particularly powerful Aura Sphere from Togekiss. Golem caught the Present, which promptly blew up in its face, taking it out of the fight.

Misty wasted no time in ordering a Hydro Pump from Staryu towards the shocked team-killer, who was knocked down and easy prey for the following Air Slash.

The second round was over, and both pairs of trainers were through.

* * *

"It still sucks that we can't use the same Pokémon twice." Iris grumbled as they walked back onto the makeshift battlefield. "I'd have used Dragonite now and in the final."

"Pretty confident then, huh." Ash commented wryly.

"And you aren't? Gah, Ash, you're such a kid…" Iris turned away, shaking her head.

Ash bit back the retort he had prepared for such an inevitable retort as they were able to take a look at their blue team opponents.

They had been involved in the last battle of the second round, a match that stretched out longer than Dawn and Misty's Delibird related clash. All four trainers in the previous battle had used defensive Pokémon; two of which – Metapod and Kakuna, ironically on different teams – had no offensive moves at all, though their defences certainly proved not to be subpar. The other two Pokémon in that battle were a Geodude – with Kakuna - and a Cloyster - with Metapod, and in the end it came down to the greater power that the evolved water/ice dual type could bring to bear, which allowed it to win the match for its team.

Shell Smash helped _quite_ a lot, too.

Cilan brought out Crustle to watch after Cloyster used the move the first time, curious as to what his Pokémon would think of Cloyster's interpretation of the move.

Crustle hardly responded much, and instead crawled over to Brock, Misty and Dawn, the former of whom was preparing a constant stream of food to give to the various Pokémon in turn. The former Pewter City gym leader was enamoured by the rock type, though Misty was put off by its dual bug typing, even though she managed to hide it well enough.

Cilan ended up deciding that the Cloyster's trainer had evidently done a good job with raising it, judging by the quality of its moves and the combinations it was able to pull off, and declared that Ash and Iris would face a tough challenge in their upcoming battle.

"Ready to lose, kids?" The blue team facing them took their positions too. They appeared to be twins; their blonde hair in delicate reflective symmetry as they stood side by side, brown eyes staring out like a hawk towards Ash and Iris.

"Hey, he's the only kid here!" Iris jerked a thumb towards Ash as she shouted back across the grass.

"Yeah! Hey, wait, what…?"

The announcer's voice flared up again, interrupting conversation once more and driving the assembled crowd to near silence.

"Welcome back after that short break to this exciting Tag Battle Tournament!" He bawled, having finally appropriate a proper microphone and sound system to project his voice over the crowd. "Well, I know I'm excited to see some more epic battling between our remaining trainers. How about the audience, are you guys excited?" He held the microphone towards the largest section of the crowd.

All around him, the observers cheered, combining their voices into a thunderous roar that ceased only sometime after the man with the microphone waved for silence.

_Rhetorical questions. Gotta love em when trying to play a crowd._ He mentally acknowledged.

The number of people actually watching the event had swelled since the end of the second round and the short intermission thereafter, so much so that, even with everyone sitting down, it was hardly possible to see out of the throng from the inner area.

The sunlight beamed down, lessened from its midday zenith but still intense enough that licensed drinks sellers – and a few opportunists - were able to make excellent sales as they navigated their way through the mass of bodies.

"Excellent, excellent!" He declared as the noise died down once again. "Well, let's get right back to it, then! In the third round – the semi-finals, I might add, we have eight trainers in four teams remaining to test their Pokémon against each other. In the first battle of this round, we have the red team of Ash and Iris against the blue team of Casey and Carol!"

More cheers, especially now that several battles had gone by and the audience – those that had been there a while, at least – were beginning to pick favourites. Ash and Iris were particularly known for their first round defeat; the crowd wanted to see more of that kind of rough battle style, and less of the tactics that they had used in the second round regarding Attract.

"Now trainers, please reveal your choice of Pokémon!"

All had already chosen, after all, and had merely been waiting for confirmation.

Four balls soared briefly into the sky once more, and four Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield once again.

"Well now, you don't see one of those every day!" The announcer's impressed tone at Iris' choice carried even through the distortion of the microphone. "Iris chooses Excadrill, and Ash goes with Kingler, while Casey and Carol call out Dewgong and Sandslash respectively!"

Kingler stretched and cracked its massive, heavier pincer and danced around, keep its feet still but its legs moving in anticipation.

Dewgong seemed to have a happy-go-lucky attitude, given the way it clapped its flippers and flopped its tail enthusiastically towards its adversaries.

Sandslash and Excadrill stared at each other, each arranging their features harshly in the face of their current competition. Both raised their claws at the same time and flexed them menacingly, Excadrill having the height and size advantage overall.

"Another Unova Pokémon, again, with its' trainer a long way from home! Anyone else here from Unova?"

Only Cilan and Iris called out in affirmation.

"Huh. Anyone here from Kanto?" The announcer smirked.

The cheer was nearly as loud as those that had come before it, echoed by Ash and both of the members of the blue team.

"Looks like the blue team have got a little bit more of a home field advantage than the red, but I guess it hasn't stopped Iris yet, so let's see how we go! Begin!" He declared.

"Sandslash, start things off with Dig!" Carol ordered, throwing an arm out and disrupting the symmetry.

"Do the same, Excadrill!" Iris countered.

"Stop it with Ice Beam!" Casey quickly commanded of Dewgong.

Sandslash, with a few seconds head start, made it into the dirt first. Excadrill joined it moments later, narrowly avoiding the chilling beam emanating from the Sea Lion Pokémon.

"Send Brine right down Sandslash's hole, Kingler!"

Kingler collected itself, drawing on its power, and launched a massive rush of shimmering blue water down into Sandslash's entrance in the ground. Dewgong, still confused at Excadrill's impressive escape, made no attempt to stop it.

"Kingler must've learned that back at Oak's lab." Misty noted.

Seconds later, the ground-type pushed out from the pitch in a separate place, frantically attempting to escape Kingler's attack.

This delay gave Excadrill the opportunity it needed to execute its own Dig; it leapt out from beneath the surface, sending mud and grass flying as it ascended above Sandslash and used a claw to strike it down again.

"Excadrill definitely has the advantage in power, and it seems about the same speed as Sandslash too." Brock commented.

"Dig is also the least of its attacks." Cilan added. "Iris has still got a lot more up its sleeve, but that Dewgong could be a problem.

"Sandslash, get up!" Carol ordered as her Pokémon struggled to rise. "Sis, we need to go for strategy number two!"

"Right!" They both flicked a strand of hair out of their face, and Carol extended a hand. "Dewgong, freeze the field completely with Blizzard!"

"Huh?"

"What?"

Sandslash leapt up as Dewgong drew back, then breathed out a cloud of ice onto the pitch in front of it. Kingler and Excadrill had no time to even try to dodge, but took little damage from the attack that they either resisted or were neutral, and after all it had practically dissipated by the time it reached them – not that it was aimed in their direction in any case.

Excadrill tapped a bladed claw onto the ice tentatively, then looked around at its trainer and shook its head.

"A bold strategy, it has to be said!" The crowd were muttering as the announcer spoke, confused but intrigued by the twins' plan. "They seem to intend on depriving Excadrill of its ability to sneak attack from underground… but how will Sandslash fare without being able to do the same?"

"Well, we'll just go for the direct approach, then! Kingler, hit Sandslash with Crabhammer!"

"Yeah, up the centre it is! Get in there, Excadrill, and use Metal Claw!"

Both Pokémon raised glowing limbs and charged forward towards the Mouse Pokémon that had just landed back on the ground.

Kingler performed fine on the ice, but Excadrill misjudged its momentum and sped past its bemused target, crashing painfully into a far wall.

"Excadrill, no!"

"Dewgong, take that Crabhammer!"

With unsuspected speed, Dewgong successfully managed to interpose itself between the oncoming Crabhammer and its partner.

Kingler's massive strength inflicted some damage, but its might was stymied by Dewgong's resistant typing; certainly it had nowhere near the impact that a similar hit on Sandslash would have created.

"Sandslash, take advantage of the opening and use Swords Dance!"

Sandslash flicked out its claws and began crashing them together, pumping itself up for further carnage.

"Excadrill won't have taken too much damage from its crash, but it might have given the twins the opening to win the battle itself." Cilan worried. "Like a recipe spoiled by just one off ingredient…"

"Excadrill's up, folks and back on the right side of the field!" The Subterrene Pokemon had indeed carefully manoeuvred itself back to stand next to Kingler, nodding to its trainer that it was still ready for action, and glared at Sandslash, who taunted it back by flexing its now razor sharp claws. "I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of Sandslash's claws, though…"

"Get back in there with Drill Run!"

"Ca…" Excadrill jumped backwards and then shot forward, drill spinning quickly. "Drill!"

"Catch it, Sandslash!"

The two Pokémon collided, throwing up dust and flecks of mud from the damaged battlefield below.

When the obscuring cloud faded, Sandslash was holding Excadrill by the drill, small arms managing to keep the ground/steel type aloft and unmoving.

"Toss it at Kingler!"

Sandslash obeyed, and the Subterrene Pokémon found itself thrown like a ragdoll at its shocked partner. They collided with another fierce smash; Kingler clearly taking the worst out of it.

"Oh no!"

"An amazing display of Sandslash's newly enhanced strength!" The crowd were pumped up now by the spectacle of the heavy Excadrill being thrown around like it suddenly weighed a tenth of what it had before. "Could this be the end for the red team?"

Both Excadrill and Kingler were now clearly breathing hard and Excadrill had even stopped shifting its claws about as it normally would when anticipating conflict. In contrast, Dewgong was as jumpy as ever, bouncing happily around next to Sandslash, whose presence had seemed magnified after the Swords Dance.

"We need to get back on the offense, Ash!" Iris realised. "Keep the pressure up!"

"Right! We're not giving up!"

"I'd say you've already lost, hon." Carol sneered.

"Yeah, why not just give up now? You'd save your puny Pokemon from any more of a beating…" Her sister put in.

"Never!" Ash roared, and the crowd cheered at the tense banter. "Kingler, Crabhammer again!"

"Just throw it off course with a Sandstorm, Sandslash, don't even waste your time." Carol dismissed the oncoming crab with a single glowing claw.

Sandslash slammed its claws into the ground rapidly, throwing up a cloud of dust and dirt – on purpose this time – into the path of Kingler. Kingler continued on for a moment, then floundered as its eyes became clogged by the tiny particles swirling round in the haze, a problem exacerbated by the heat. It managed to stagger back to beside Excadrill, rubbing its eyes frantically in a vain attempt to clear them.

"This looks really, really bad." Dawn said on the side lines as the sandstorm rolled on to cover the whole pitch.

"They've got to find a way to pull through, but they can't even get a hit in…"

"Sandslash will be even harder to kill with its ability, Sand Veil, activated." Brock observed.

"Pika…"

"Nah, I'd say Iris has this all-wrapped up now." Cilan said offhandedly.

The others all turned to him.

"Huh?"

"But they've barely dealt any damage!" Misty said, baffled. "How can you think that they're in a good position?"

Cilan simply motioned with his head towards Iris, and the others turned back to look at her.

She was smirking, her eyes excited, smile wide.

"What are you smiling at, kid?" Casey asked, confused. "Your Pokémon are finished! They can't even hit Sandslash, and Dewgong's still going strong!"

"Oh, nothing." Iris said so sweetly and with such confidence that even Ash looked at her in surprise. The crowd was deathly silent now. "Ready to win, Excadrill!"

"'Cadrill! Ex…"

Excadrill didn't_ look_ like it had experienced some kind of second wind… It was still breathing hard, dragging its claws slightly.

"You're insane." Carol replied, shaking her head, and then raised a hand. "Sandslash, finish this off with Slash!"

Jumping through the whirling sand, Sandslash raised its empowered claws to knock out its wounded adversary and practically end the battle.

It almost hit Excadrill, too.

_Almost._

One second, Excadrill was standing there, about to be slashed by the ground-type Mouse Pokemon.

Next, it was gone. Sandslash landed and looked around, confused.

Then Excadrill appeared behind it.

"Sandslash, look-" Carol tried to warn, realising the danger too late.

"Metal Claw, let's go!" Iris interrupted. With claws glowing, Excadrill laid into its opponent, the Sand Veil doing little to aid the stricken Sandslash given Excadrill's newfound speed.

"Amazing!" The crowd were roaring again, and the announcer had to fight to be overheard. "Look at Excadrill go!"

The repeated slashes forced Sandslash back, next to the shocked Dewgong, who stopped bouncing and took its eye of Kingler.

Big mistake.

"Kingler, quick, Guillotine!"

Kingler's claw glowed a deep red this time, as it scuttled through the haze of sand towards its unsuspecting adversary.

"Dewgong, watch out!" Casey panicked, and Dewgong turned back in time to see Kingler looming over it. With a quick crack, the pincer descended and closed, and Dewgong was down and out.

"I can still do this!" Carol cried as Casey ran out to comfort her unconscious Pokemon. "Sandslash, use your strength to Slash again!"

Sandslash flicked a claw out, but Excadrill was already gone.

"Excadrill, finish it off with Drill Run!" Iris shouted happily.

"Exxxxxx…" Excadrill jumped back again, only this time much more quickly, and shot forward at a blinding speed towards Sandslash, its drill spinning at a tremendous rate.

Sandslash had no time to recover and block. The Pokémon collided again, only this time Sandslash was the one to take the worst of the smash.

The Mouse Pokémon fainted as the sandstorm finally subsided. The audience erupted in glee at the eventful outcome of the match as the sun's rays shone through once more.

Excadrill, weary yet proud of its achievements, roared happily, flexing and crashing together its claws as Iris approached to congratulate it. Kingler settled for a hug from its ecstatic trainer.

Their opponents recalled their Pokémon and simply walked away, distraught at their sudden defeat.

"But how did Excadrill get so fast?" Brock, Dawn and Misty shared the same stunned expression.

"It was Excadrill's ability, Sand Rush." Cilan explained helpfully. "When Excadrill is exposed to the conditions of a sandstorm, its speed is temporarily doubled."

"So the blue team ended up being the cause of their own failure." Brock realised as Dawn snickered.

"Whatever, they won! It's great!"

"Yeah, now we've just got to do the same!" Misty went for a high-five, which Dawn accepted, and both walked down to the battlefield, passing and congratulating Ash and Iris on the way down.

* * *

Dawn and Misty had seen their opponents before, of course; battling in the first and second rounds and winning fairly strongly.

They still were not prepared for the reality of battling two very young, entirely serious looking, schoolboys.

"Hey! Old ladies! We're gonna beat you into the ground with our powerful Pokémon!" One of them bragged. They stared back in disbelief at the bold suggestion.

"Who're you calling old?" Dawn practically snarled, her temper flaring up.

"Do you have to be so rude?" The other grumbled, adjusting a pair of glasses across his face. "And they're not ours; they're our dads'…"

"Oh, shut up! I bet you have a crush on one of them already!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Wow." Misty sighed. "Why us?"

"It can't be that hard for them to beat those two, can it?" Ash looked down at the arguing red team. No-one replied.

The microphone's static cut across the chattering audience.

"Welcome back to the second semi-final, and I'm sure you're all hungry for more excitement after the thrilling conclusion to the first one!" The announcer basked in the cheers of agreement for a moment before continuing. "Now, we have the team of Dawn and Misty in the blue corner, and they're up against the team of Dennis and Tim comprising the red team! Let's give a big cheer for our competitors as they reveal their next Pokémon!"

Dawn chose Piplup and Misty went with Politoed, the latter happily grabbing the former and dancing energetically with him as they arrived on the battlefield.

Their opponents didn't so much choose their Pokémon as choose their Poké balls, judging by their reaction when the Pokémon emerged.

"Cool, Bellossom!"

"Lame, Miltank! I must've picked up one of my mom's Pokémon by mistake!"

"Dude, your dad does have a Miltank. I've seen him training it when I was around your house last."

"… I knew that. Well, what kind of lame Pokémon is that?" Dennis - the one with shorter hair and no glasses – asked, pointing, annoyed, at Bellossom.

"Hey, Bellossom's a cool Pokémon!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

The two Pokémon "owned" by the red team looked at each other sadly and shook their heads sadly as the arguing resumed.

"Boys, boys, settle down!" The announcer seemed a little embarrassed by their behaviour. "Save that energy for the battle! Now, begin!" He declared.

"I'm starting this!" Dennis snapped. "Miltank, use Rollout!"

Miltank curled up – an impressive achievement given its bulk – and built up speed to roll towards Piplup.

"Stop it with a Whirlpool, Piplup!" Dawn ordered.

Pipulp summoned a swirling vortex of water and tossed it at the oncoming Milk Cow Pokémon. Caught up in its rolling, there was nowhere to run, and Miltank was briefly trapped before being tossed back next to Bellossom.

"Gah! Help me, I'm your teammate!" Dennis snapped at Tim, who shrugged.

"Sunny Day, Bellossom!"

The Flower Pokémon waved its short arms around, knocking its own leaves to and fro as the sunlight intensified to nearly blinding levels.

The aforementioned opportunists immediately began selling sunglasses throughout the eager crowd.

"How's making the sun brighter going to help?" Dennis shouted at his supposed friend.

"You'll see."

_Can't use water-type moves until that sun dies down…_ Dawn and Misty shared a glance, having come to the same realisation simultaneously.

"Politoed, get involved with a Headbutt!"

"Piplup, use Peck on Bellossom, let's go!"

Both water-types bounced rapidlyforward to attack. Politoed's Headbutt easily connected, sending the already-weakened Miltank sprawling. Piplup's Peck did not, for Bellossom was suddenly behind it, and moving _quickly _as its Chlorophyll came into effect.

"Piplup, watch-"

"Solarbeam!"

With no charging time necessary due to the oppressive sun, Bellossom unleashed a massive blast of power at Dawn's starter Pokemon.

"Pipluppppp!"

"Piplup, no!"

Unprepared for the speed at which the attack was executed and launched, Piplup had no time to prepare itself for the hit, and also unprepared for Bellossom's sheer might, fell to the ground already out cold.

"Alright!" Dennis cheered, while Tim looked smugly on. "I'll give you that. That _was _pretty smart."

The crowd were surprised but impressed by the early knockout and celebrated Bellossom's victory as Dawn gathered Piplup up from the battlefield and walked off to stand behind Misty.

"Sorry." She whispered as she passed her partner. "It's up to you now."

Misty nodded.

"One thing at a time! First, dealing with that sun!" She declared. "Politoed, Rain Dance!"

Politoed clapped its hands together and resumed its dance from before, only this time with a little extra… _flair._

It took only a few seconds for what was essentially a localised storm to begin pouring down on the battlefield. While the sun's rays had certainly been annoying before, this sudden torrential downpour was far less welcomed by the assembled spectators.

"Quick, use Sunny Day again!" Dennis shouted to his partner.

"Right! Bellossom, use-" Tim began, but was cut off by Misty.

"Now, Swagger before Bellossom can make its move!"

Politoed winked flirtatiously at Bellossom, who blushed and seemed to grow in stature, only to become dazed and heavy on its feet at the same time.

"C'mon, Bellossom, use Sunny Day again!" Tim repeated, but Bellossom simply slapped itself.

"What's that silly Pokémon doing?" Dennis demanded. Miltank also turned to watch.

"It's not silly, it's-"

"Politoed, finish Bellossom with Hydro Pump!" Politoed dug deep and fired off a massive stream of water at the disoriented Flower Pokémon.

Despite the defensive type matchup, the rain empowered the attack and that, coupled with the damage from the confused attack earlier, allowed the attack to faint it.

"Way to go, Misty!" Dawn had retrieved her cheerleading outfit from the others in the crowd and now danced in it behind Misty, ignoring the drenching rain.

"Ugh, you idiot!" Dennis despaired as Tim returned it to its ball.

"Well, if you'd maybe have helped me instead of having Miltank just stand there."

"Are we gonna finish this battle or not?" Misty headed off another argument there.

"Yeah, and I'll be the winner!" Dennis pointed out at Politoed. "Miltank, Hyper Beam!"

His Pokémon stared at him for a moment and then shrugged.

"What? Why aren't you attacking?" He cried.

"Bet it doesn't know Hyper Beam." Tim suggested, shivering in the rain.

"Well, how about-"

"Politoed, let's just finish this up!" Misty had had enough. "Hydro Pump, one last time!"

"Tell Miltank to dodge, you idiot!" Tim screamed as Politoed took a deep breath.

"Uh, Miltank, I, uh, quick-"

Too slow. Though Miltank probably would have been too slow to avoid it anyway…

The attack connected and knocked Miltank down and out.

"And that's the second semi-final over!" The announcer shouted as the volume of the horde climbed up again. The precipitation summoned by Politoed ceased, and the clouds dissipated, the weather returning to the previous, glorious sunlight. "Misty and Dawn advance to face Ash and Iris in the final!"

Dawn ran out onto the battlefield and hugged Misty, joined as soon as he was able by her recovering starter, and then by the soaking wet Politoed.

Dennis and Tim had, perhaps unsurprisingly, started bickering again. Still, Misty went over to thank them for the battle and encourage them for the future, and they _both _went away blushing furiously after that conversation.

"Both in the finals, huh?" Brock chuckled, laying a hand on Ash's shoulder as they watched. "Who would've thought it?"

Ash gazed out onto the field until he found himself being dragged along by Iris. His eyes had been fixed on Misty the entire time, smiling happily as she did the same, waving her hand in a v-for-victory pose.

_Who indeed…_

* * *

"Begin!" The announcer had shouted, and the crowd went silent as the trainers made their first moves.

Some of the onlookers had departed, but many more had arrived, and by the time of the final there was no space in sight that was unfilled.

They had wished each other good luck and sent out their Pokémon.

Dragonite, for Iris. Having expected another Unova-native from the wild child, the spectators went wild at the presence of the Pokemon that the announcer had described as "Kanto's finest".

Infernape, for Ash. Misty had expected it, and Dawn was delighted to see an old friend again so soon.

Infernape and Dragonite briefly sized each other up upon entering the battlefield, but seemed to arrive at an understanding of sorts, as throughout the battle they focused their efforts solely towards their opponents.

Gyarados, for Misty. Ash had expected its presence; aware of the powerhouse on her team, but it was still an imposing sight.

Mamoswine, for Dawn.

It was interesting that all four would choose Pokémon that they had once had some trouble with, whether in concerns of loyalty or simple rage, but none dwelled on it.

They had a battle to win.

This would be a battle of power, and certainly turned out to be so.

The earliest stages of the battle were effectively the most brutal; a frantic melee in which Dragonite and Mamoswine and Infernape and Gyarados fought hand-to-tusk and fist-to-maw. That said, the first attack was an early, unexpected Flamethrower from Gyarados, removing any useful impact that Multiscale might have on Dragonite's chances of winning the battle.

Seeing that a close combat approach would not avail them against their opponents greater might, Dawn and Misty – in the red corner, this time – changed tack. They had Mamoswine rain down icicles from afar, bringing them crashing down on their adversary's heads, while Gyarados alternated between extended Hydro Pumps and Flamethrowers, keeping their foes dodging and away from where they could cause greatest harm – up close and personal.

Tiring them out, too.

To their credit, the blue team came to that conclusion with impressive expediency, and sought to beat their foes at their own game. Iris directed Dragonite to use Ice Beam as often as it could; freezing the Hydro Pumps where it could, while Ash had Infernape counter the Flamethrowers with its own variant, and melt the icicles that sought to end the battle so prematurely.

All this forced Gyarados back, and increased Mamoswine's desperation.

Just as Gyarados was a foot away from Mamoswine's tusks, still not tiring in its rampage at Misty's pleading, Ash and Iris played their trump.

Ash ordered Infernape to Dig to quickly get underground and come up from underneath their foes. At the same time, even as the red team processed that command, Iris had Dragonite use ExtremeSpeed.

Darting over glistening ice and streams of fire, Dragonite zipped towards Gyarados and made painful contact. At almost the same time, Infernape burst out under Mamoswine and sent it reeling away from the force of its power.

But it wasn't enough. Both Pokémon were still up, and Dawn and Misty went on the counterattack.

This time, they went in on the offensive.

Gyarados used Thrash to stand up to Dragonite's lumbering punches, and despite having superior defensive typing, the dragon/flying Pokémon sill suffered from the Atrocious Pokémon's rage.

Mamoswine caught Infernape off-guard by recovering from its attack so quickly, and launched a flurry of powerful ground and ice-type moves, eventually forcing Ash to rectify the situation with a hastily employed Counter Shield, which greatly impressed the crowd.

After that scrum, both sides disengaged for a breath moment of respite. Ragged breathing was universal across all four Pokémon, and the atmosphere was tense.

Then, just like that, two were out cold.

Dawn had Mamoswine charge toward Infernape again, intent on inflicting further damage.

Ash ordered a Flare Blitz to counter the assault.

The smoke cloud from their subsequent meeting took nearly thirty seconds to disperse entirely, but eventually did so to reveal that _both_ had fainted; Mamoswine from the Flare Blitz, and Infernape from the recoil.

This left just Iris and Misty – and their Pokémon, of course – staring each other down on the battlefield.

"I think this has gone on long enough, Iris." Misty suggested lightly, as Dragonite glared at her Pokémon, which snarled and roared in response to its expression.

Not that the crowd wants it to end…

"Aww, but I'm just getting warmed up."

"Oh, I'll give you warm. Flamethrower!"

"Ice Beam!"

Though the typing of the attacks favoured Gyarados, the end result was a sparkling display of glittering moisture that filled the air and drew gasps from the crowd.

"It looks weak, Gyarados! I know you can do it, finish it up with Thrash!"

"We won't be beaten that easily! Dragonite, use Outrage now!"

Both Pokémon gave one, last, bellowing cry, then charged at each other. Gyarados went in with its mouth; Dragonite with its fists. Both slid past each other as they attacked, then turned to glare at each other for nearly twenty seconds, still holding on.

The crowd awaited the result with baited breath, the two defeated partners staring out tensely past their allies onto the battlefield.

Then it was over.

Gyarados fell down, stars in its eyes, and Dragonite roared, exhausted but triumphant, as the echoing roar of the crowd around them reached deafening levels. Iris ran in to hug it, followed by Ash, and eventually, after it had joined them

* * *

"We need to spend more days like this." Iris declared as the six trainers walked back to where they were scheduled to meet up with Cynthia for the ride home, having left the park behind a long time ago. The sun was low in the sky, the clouds returning, the shops slowly, but surely, beginning to shut.

They turned the corner and waved to Cynthia, who waved back, happy to see them again.

"Yeah," Misty agreed. "But not every day. Our Pokémon might have enjoyed the battles today, and I know I did too, but we've gotta be careful how hard we push them."

"True, but we all had a lot of fun today." Ash put the shiny stone that had been his prize back in his pocket as Iris proceeded to examine her new water stone for the umpteenth time.

Pikachu eyed both warily, suspicious of any elemental stones so similar to the thunder stone he so dreaded.

"Certainly seems that way." Cynthia noted all of their content expressions as they reached and piled back into the vehicle she had commandeered.

"How was your day, then?" Dawn asked as she shut the door and Cynthia started the engine.

Cynthia smiled so slightly that the others weren't entirely sure it wasn't merely an illusion of her reflection.

"Oh, you know." She said airily. "Same old, same old."

* * *

The announcer watched as his flunkies loaded the equipment from the day's work back onto the specially made truck. He reflected on just how smoothly the day had actually _gone._

Financially, they had made an absolute fortune from sales during the tournament; as they always did, and as they always would. Sure, it cost a little to obtain permits for such events and to actually set them up, but nowhere near as much as the profit they made every single time.

But that wasn't the best result of the day.

The announcer flipped on his mobile and keyed in the special, direct number, then waited until he was put through to his boss's office.

"Well?" The boss was hardly known for his patience.

"It was done, sir." The announcer could barely contain his excitement. "We collected data on four of the members of the Primary Target's team, as well as four each of the members of three of the Secondary Target's team – all while remaining entirely undetected. I'm sending it to you now, along with our expenditure and profits for this project."

"Most impressive." The boss replied after some time. "Once again, you prove your usefulness, and the importance of your little scheme to our organisation. Well done, operative."

"Thank you, sir."

"You have my permission to begin preparations for the next event. See to it that you maintain your levels of efficiency and success. Good luck."

"Thank you, sir." He ended the call, and smiled as he entered the truck's cabin and ordered the driver to go. It felt good to be a part of something successful.

Hundreds of miles away, looking over the data that had been collected after the call had ceased, Giovanni smiled.

* * *

_The corruption stirred the heavens above, awaking a shining champion._

_**- Victory's Herald, Mirrodin Besieged**_


	12. Surprises

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Thanks for the reviews from two guests and irisflower1331, and thanks for the praise! Your reviews seem pretty similar, so I assume that you're all either the same person or all friends, but either way:

To the second review of the three, I will be going over the spelling and grammar as a whole in every chapter at some point – and will announce when I do - but in the meantime if you would like to help by pointing out any specific examples I'd be happy to correct them much more quickly.

Now, as for chapter one… It's kind of complicated to explain right now, because it ties in with the rest of the story, and how it will eventually play out. It certainly isn't there because I got bored and decided to do some creative writing; it's not random, but its relevance will become apparent later, rather than sooner. All I can say is keep reading, and you'll understand by the end.

Thanks again for the reviews!

* * *

The next day of their erstwhile vacation was spent in a somewhat more relaxed manner.

"Unfezant, use Gust to get the wind going!"

Unfezant tensed its body and began flapping its wings rapidly, creating a vertical, spiralling vortex in the sky.

"Good, now Kingler, use BubbleBeam and aim for that Gust!"

Kingler spat a stream of compressed water into its ally's creation, which churned for a moment and then began covering the other side of the field with a powerful spray.

"Quilava, Piplup, dodge fast!" Dawn ordered hurriedly. Her Pokémon obeyed, leaping up and across the pitch to carry out the command of their trainer.

Quilava, more through bad luck than judgment, took the worst of the combination attack and was doused by several streams of water. Piplup remained mostly unscathed.

"Now I see exactly why they use two Pokémon in actual contest battles." Cilan commented. "They can play off each other in ways that are much harder or impossible to perform alone, like a saucier providing his expertise in the kitchen to the chef de partie!"

"Way to go, guys!" Ash cheered his duo, who squawked and crackled back in appreciation.

Sure, the day was more relaxed, but that hardly meant that there would be no battling whatsoever.

In this case, contest battles were the order of the day; the decision was made based on several factors, prime amongst them the recognition of the fact that all of their battles for more than a week had been of the "proper" kind, and as Cilan chimed in, "variety is the spice of life", after all.

Second, this sort of battling was of great interest to both Cilan and Misty; the former coming from a region which had yet to offer an organised contest circuit and the latter having travelled around Kanto too early to have experienced them otherwise. Ash and Dawn had agreed to give them a demonstration, as the only ones with a reasonable degree of contest experience – Brock added that he wouldn't be much help with only one Pokémon anyway.

Third, Dawn pointed out that she needed to battle in such a way once in a while to avoid being out of practice for the real thing, and that reason would have no doubt sufficed on its own.

And that was how they came to be fighting a contest battle in the early morning – Ash having been dragged out of bed, of course – watched by Brock, Cilan, Iris and Misty.

Dawn had an advantage beyond the fact that she was a dedicated coordinator; her Pokémon were well versed in the need to blend style and form into their battling techniques, while Kingler and Unfezant, quite simply, were not.

They had done well so far to adapt, dealing as much damage with their attacks as their opponents had; Kingler in particular had shown that his ability to roll with any given situation had not diminished since its crushing victory in the first round of the Indigo League. But Dawn decided to bring the battle to a close in a way that, in a real contest, would have lost her adversary a grand amount of points even if their Pokémon had been able to continue.

"Piplup, use Whirlpool! Quilava, follow that up with Fire Spin!"

With well-rehearsed precision, Piplup summoned and tossed the raging torrent of water as Quilava inhaled and blew a wreath of fire that encircled it in perfect harmony; neither overflowing nor overreaching to consume or extinguish the other.

The maelstrom moved forward to catch both Unfezant and Kingler in its turning currents. Though Kingler would have been less affected by a regular whirlpool or a regular fire spin due to its typing, the combination created an improvised scalding effect that left it with agonising burns across its body.

"That combination was even better!" Cilan cried, awestruck, as the move also showered the battlefield with warm – but quickly cooling – droplets of water, and steam began to obscure the "firepool", leaving Piplup and Quilava as the centre of attention.

"I guess taking a combination and improving on it in succession scores a lot of points in an actual contest." Misty guessed, and Brock confirmed her suggestion with a nod.

The "firepool" finally dissipated, dumping Kingler and Unfezant unceremoniously on the ground. Burns covered their bodies, and they were very much unconscious.

Brock declared that the match was over – in Dawn's favour – as she ran out to praise and thank her Pokémon, while Ash moved to comfort his. They were treated with potions and rawst berries – the latter courtesy of Cilan, of course. They recovered well, if a little annoyed and confused at their loss, as not using pure force or strategy to win and trying to perfect their style had been difficult for the both of them.

They had set up the makeshift contest battlefield closer to Oak's lab than Ash's house, around the same place that Ash had battled Gary before setting off for Sinnoh several years before. This allowed Tracey to occasionally come over and watch as he worked on the daily chores for the lab. Oak himself had returned to run what he called "final examinations" on the stone that Ash had delivered to him, and Cynthia had joined him.

After all, today_ was_ the day that Lance would be arriving.

Cynthia had dropped that little bombshell on them the night before, during dinner when all were assembled at Ash's house, and many tales were told and past adventures recited. Many of which, of course, involved Ash being embarrassed in some way or another.

Still, Cynthia's revelation that Lance would be accelerating his arrival; again, that is, given that he had at first intended to check up on the stone in three weeks' time, then shortened it to merely a week. Now, the time between the stone reaching its destination and Lance's presence would be barely three days.

Ash had expected Professor Oak to be unhappy at the least, and he certainly seemed annoyed when he next spoke. Ash had also expected that Oak would not be ready to show the Kanto champion anything of substance from his research, but he had been proved wrong on that account; the professor had said that he would be delighted to, with a strange smile that Ash had not enjoyed seeing.

Cynthia also seemed slightly displeased, but Ash and the others had no chance of fathoming the possible disagreements that champions might have with each other, and so let the matter go unnoticed.

Indeed, Ash, Brock and Misty were looking forward to the opportunity of seeing the elite trainer again.

Iris was over-the-moon, and she was still jumpy at the prospect of him appearing at any time even at the practice contest battles the next day.

Cilan and Misty went next, and tried to practice combinations with their own Pokémon. Cilan tried out Pansage and Crustle, having the latter use Shell Smash and the former fire off SolarBeams to send chunks of rock and solar power zooming towards Misty's Politoed and Luvdisc. For her part, she had them counter with staggering walls of water, attempting to form a box or enclosure to trap Pansage and Crustle.

It wasn't easy for either trainer, although Misty acclimatised a little more so because of her previous experiences with show business and such style in Cerulean City. Pansage found it hard to aim the SolarBeams so that they reliably bounced off of chunks of rock, and many of the water walls that Misty's Pokémon carved simply petered out after existing for only a few seconds, but it was, Dawn agreed, a good start for them.

They had lunch shortly after, made through a concerted effort between Brock, Cilan and Delia this time. They had spent some time the night before devising what they would cook for both the midday and evening meals, and the result was mouth-watering to behold and taste, although Ash missed the lack of pot pies – his mom said that giving them to him again so soon after he last ate them would be bad parenting.

They had intended to spend the rest of the afternoon lazing about and simply talking while waiting for Lance to arrive, but such "activity" was cut short _by _his very early visitation.

* * *

They had expected to actually see Lance travel by on whatever mode of transport he had chosen, and so waited at Ash's house, not at Oak's lab.

The folly of this line of thinking was revealed by a phone call from the lab not even twenty minutes after they had finished eating.

Ash had made it there first, but Iris, either sensing somehow or perhaps guessing that it would have to do with Lance, simply tackled him out of the way before he could pick up the receiver and took it herself, accidentally sending Pikachu flying in the process.

"Hello?" She asked, the picture of innocence, as Ash, mumbling incoherently, picked himself up off the floor. "Oh, hi Tracey! He's… there already? He's there? He's there! Thanks, Tracey!" She screamed the last and slammed the receiver back onto the base, cutting the conversation abruptly short. "Guys, guys!" She called into the kitchen. "He's at the lab already! He's here, Lance is here!"

The others began to pick up their bags and get ready to head out for the lab, but Iris wasn't about to wait around. She grabbed Ash's hand and dragged him to the door.

"We'll meet you there!" She pulled open the front door and pulled the protesting Ash outside with Pikachu following in their wake. She then let go and started to run down the road towards the lab.

"Hey, Iris, wait up!" He called after her, allowing Pikachu back onto his shoulder and sprinting to catch up, panting from the overbearing heat as he ran.

The gates and the door to the lab were both open, as though Tracey had suspected that they wouldn't wait for very long.

Iris was still first in, and she displayed no sign of tiring out even as she rocketed up the path and past the door.

Ash lost sight of her as she ran into the lab and turned right towards the living room.

"Ah, hello Iris." He heard Professor Oak say as he continued running. "Lance, this is one of Ash's friends, Iris, she-"

Ash finally made it round the corner into the living room and crashed straight into Iris. The wild girl had apparently centred herself well when she stopped, because she barely seemed affected by the impact at all, whereas he fell over backwards, which sent Pikachu flying again.

"Nice to meet you." He heard a familiar, but long-unseen voice say as he shook his head roughly, trying to shake off the effects of the collision. "And here's Ash, great to see you again!"

His dazed vision finally cleared and he was able to properly see the crimson-haired champion standing before him, extending a hand to help him up.

"Lance! Long-time no see!" He took Lance's hand, who pulled him off the floor and allowed him to stand unaided once more. They shook hands before they let go, each remembering the past experiences that had made them friends.

"It has been too long." Lance agreed. "I see Pikachu's still as healthy as ever, too."

The yellow Mouse Pokémon affirmed his assessment happily.

"You okay, Iris?" Ash asked, realising the source of the collision in the first place. "Guess not…" He muttered as he realised that she had barely moved a muscle since entering, locked in some inner conflict of will between her desire to ask Lance a million different questions about his dragon-type Pokémon, and her shyness in general about talking to one of her idols. The latter force seemed to be winning at the moment, given her inactivity, though the occasional shakes that rocked her body betrayed the existence and continuation of the struggle.

"She'll be fine after a little while." Cynthia offered, and Lance turned slightly to allow Ash to see the champion who spoke. She was sitting next to Oak on the couch again, sipping a from a cup of coffee. "Afternoon, Ash."

"Hey, Cynthia."

"Where are the others?"

"They're coming, Iris was kinda in a hurry to meet Lance and she pulled me along, so we ended up leaving them behind."

"Wanted to meet me, huh?" Lance turned back to Iris, grinning. "Whatever for?"

"I… Uh… Dragons…" The Unovan managed to force out; cheeks blushing a deep red, eyes wide, she kept glancing between Cynthia and Lance, unable to keep her gaze on the Kanto champion for too long.

"Iris here is going to be a dragon master one day." Cynthia said helpfully, causing Lance to smile wider. She too wore a smile, though her face seemed etched far more in amusement rather than flattery or other such concerns.

"Well then, would you like to meet my Dragonite later?"

"Y-y-y-yes p-p-please!" She finally seemed to gain a little confidence even as she stuttered. "That'd, uh, be a-amazing!"

"Ash, you'll have to tell me about what you've been up to since we last met, I'd love to hear it."

"Sure, it'd be great to catch up later."

Their conversation was interrupted by the belated appearance of Brock, Cilan, Dawn and Misty. Lance was introduced to Cilan and Dawn and reacquainted with Brock and Misty, the last of whom having not seen him since the Lake of Rage incident, and was subsequently very happy to hear that he still had his red Gyarados due to her own use of the Atrocious Pokémon.

The pleasantries, impressively, lasted a full twenty minutes, not least because Cynthia and Professor Oak joined in with as much enthusiasm as everyone else.

Ash realised something that he hadn't before about Lance during that time; he was very good at keeping conversation going. Perhaps it was because they had been a little preoccupied during their previous meetings in both Johto and Hoenn… Or perhaps he _was _becoming more observant.

A subtle hint here, a slight prompt there…

From being impressed at Dawn's Piplup, to encouragement towards Brock's goal of becoming a Pokémon doctor…

And suddenly, they found themselves with a lot more to talk about.

They almost began repeating the best of the stories that they had shared in the days before – purely for Lance's benefit, of course.

Fortunately, the professor had apparently foreseen the situation and set Tracey as a safeguard to pull them back to what they really had to discuss – or perhaps Tracey had been the most observant of them all, and had realised that their conversation was spiralling off into trivial pursuits.

Either way, Tracey entered the room at one point in their discussion and signalled discretely to Oak, who looked at his watch and gasped in surprise.

"Oh my, look at the time!" It was hardly late, but the point had been made. "I'm sure all this catching up can wait, and I assume that our esteemed visitor would like to see what he came to see now."

Lance took this as a hint to agree.

"Certainly so." He said. "Not that I mind stopping by to say "hello" now and then, but this is the main reason I'm here, after all…"

_He's never stopped by as far as I know._ Ash thought. _So either he __**does**__ come to the lab sometimes when I'm not around… Or he's just being courteous._

Oak directed them out of the living room and onto the balcony. It was a tight fit for all ten of them, but they were able to squeeze onto it in single file, and take in the view of the land and Pokémon that the professor watched over every day.

The sun bathed the grass below in a warm light, still high above the horizon as it was for the time of day.

"That's beautiful…" Misty whispered.

"Yeah…" Dawn agreed, and, silently, so too did Ash.

Ash managed to spot Bulbasaur helping a few of the younger grass-type Pokémon take a drink from one of various pools in the lab's outside grounds, and smiled proudly at the sight, then waved enthusiastically back as his Pokémon spotted _him _and began shaking a vine in his direction.

Oak cleared his throat, and everyone's attention returned to him. He slipped an aged hand into one of his white-coat pockets, and revealed the smooth, etched mediocre chunk of stone that had been Ash's responsibility in the last stage of his journey in Unova. _So far._

"I've subjected this stone – as you," He began, motioning to Lance, who nodded in return. "And Cameron requested of me when you had Ash and the others protect it and bring it here from Unova – to every single test, experiment and examination that I have been able to devise, and I can strongly say that I have the utmost faith in the accuracy of my conclusions."

"And they are?" Dawn broke the prolonged silence that had followed after the end of his sentence. Any longer and Ash was tempted to do it himself, and his attempt to get things rolling probably would have lacked the level of decorum that Dawn's succinct choice of words possessed.

Oak's grim smile – that he had worn at dinner the previous night – had returned, and suddenly Ash had a very bad feeling about what he would say next.

"Tracey?" He turned to his assistant, gingerly handing over the stone. "I'm a little too old for this next part, so do it for me, will you?"

From the matching look on their friend's face, Tracey already knew whatever it was that Oak seemed so – angry? Annoyed? It was hard to tell – about.

"I'd be happy to, professor." He said, holding the stone – in contrast to Oak's carefulness – loosely. He held it up, and for what – to Ash – seemed like an age, despite being barely a moment in reality - looked out across the balcony.

With surprising speed, Tracey hefted the stone and tossed it with precise aim away from the balcony and onto the grass below, albeit nowhere near to where the closest Pokémon happened to be. It was small enough to be quickly lost from view where it landed.

That was the last they would see of the stone.

* * *

Two people on that balcony reacted with no surprise whatsoever at the turn of events – and they were Tracey and Professor Oak.

Five others reacted only slightly to the sight of the stone flying away by Tracey's hand, staring at its diminishing profile in stunned silence. Those five were Brock, Cilan, Cynthia, Lance and Misty.

The remaining three – Ash, Dawn and Iris, of course, reacted rather angrily to seeing something that they had been told was important soaring away rapidly from them, lost forever in the grass.

"Tracey, what on earth was that?"

"Why did you do that?"

"I can't believe this!"

Tracey shook his head and shrugged.

Lance closed his eyes, and sighed, then opened them to look almost apologetically at Oak.

"So it's entirely useless?"

Now everyone was speechless. Cynthia had gone from being merely silent to having apparently forgotten to close her mouth again having opened it involuntarily in shock, a rare abandonment of the normal poker face that the Sinnoh champion regularly made use of.

Oak nodded, but he wasn't finished.

"More than that, champion, there's far more than that." Ash had only ever heard Oak use this tone of voice before when talking about – or to – Pokémon thieves like Team Rocket. To see it directed at Lance sent a shiver down his spine, and he wondered, as he had with Misty the day before, how the professor had been able to stop himself from breaking out into an angry rant earlier. "The stone that you had me examine is, indeed, entirely inert. No, that's not the right word; it doesn't accurately describe the object in question." He corrected himself. "To say that the stone is "inert" would imply that it once had a function at some time." He paused again.

Ash willed him to continue even though he suspected that everyone on the balcony had already worked out what he would say next.

"That stone was literally just an ordinary piece of rock, of rubble, of hardened minerals. There is no way it served any other purpose than as a decoy, a distraction for the efforts of those against Team Plasma in Unova, and a waste of your time in investigating Team Rocket here in Kanto. Frankly, I'd like to have a word with that foolish young Cameron as soon as possible to tell him what I think about this whole situation in person, though how exactly Professor Juniper didn't just tell him this herself is beyond me."

"I think he said that she did." Ash defended the Unovan professor. "But he wanted to be sure..."

"Then I'd be worried about his state of mind. I know he's famous for being paranoid…" Cynthia snickered at this, and Lance's smile returned, shifting into something that resembled fond affection. "But this verges on wilful stupidity, and given what else his little errand meant for…"

"Rest assured that Cameron will be told of what you have found… And informed about your displeasure." Lance cut across the professor, and now _his_ tone and expression suggested that this part of the conversation was over. "Thank you for your efforts and time, professor, and rest assured that we will continue to look to protecting the regions, and be more careful in the future about the leads we follow in order to avoid red herrings." He gestured inside. "I've got some more news – very recent news, in fact – to discuss, and if we could do so inside…"

"Of course, but I need to talk to you briefly. Help yourself to any food and drink you like, everyone, we'll be with you again shortly." Oak said stiffly, and everyone but himself, Cynthia and Lance proceeded to file back inside the lab; those who had returned from Unova feeling a little dejected now that the futility of their delivery had been revealed. Oak waved a hand at Cynthia to say that he didn't mind her staying – not that she would probably leave anyway – and she closed the balcony door as Tracey, the last to leave, went through.

"Look, I'm sorry for wasting your time, and for asking Cameron to give the stone to Ash, professor." Lance managed to say before Oak resumed.

"You could have just sent the stone to me, and it would have arrived quickly. Ash and the others could have been in grave danger-"

"Well, if the stone wasn't good for anything, then…"

"Irrelevant." Oak snapped at him, silencing him. "If it had been necessary for something – which I can only assume that you – and certainly Cameron – believed, then you were knowingly putting them at the risk of attack. Never mind that they can handle it, I know they've dealt with Team Rocket hundreds of times in the past." Oak saw off that attempt at rebuttal as Lance opened his mouth, then closed it quickly again. "But you set the bar low if you count Team Rocket as a regular, major threat for them to face – at least those two goons that follow them around, anyway."

"I went with them, they were hardly alone." Cynthia offered in Lance's defence, but Oak could easily see that her heart wasn't in it; she agreed with him, not Lance.

"I have no quarrel with you, Cynthia, and I find your actions admirable." He said. "The problem I have is related either to Cameron, or yourself, Lance. Either it follows that Cameron has become unhealthily paranoid as a result of the crisis in his region…" Oak looked at the Kanto champion harshly. "Or there _i_s the possibility is that you suggested to him that he should give it to Ash _because_ you wanted Ash back in Kanto for some reason." Lance kept his face even in response, and eventually Oak gave a long sigh, and walked back towards the door to the lab. "I sincerely hope that I'm entirely wrong, Lance, but I worry that I'm not. I hope your news will turn out to be good." Without another word, he walked back into the lab, leaving Cynthia and Lance alone.

Both knew that Oak had come close to hitting the nail completely on the head with his suspicions.

"Well, I-" Lance began.

"He's right. That's all I have to say." Cynthia stated as she followed Oak's example and left him alone on the balcony.

Lance took one last look out over the horizon, taking in the warmth and beauty of the sun, before moving to join them.

_If only they could know how much worse things are going to get…_

* * *

"All right, then." Lance said, having managed to recompose himself to adopt the same confident expression he had worn upon first arriving at the lab. "Truth be told, the stone isn't the only reason I'm here so early." He looked at Cynthia and Oak before continuing, who had both similarly returned to neutral expressions since re-joining the others, and he was thankful for that. "First, I do _have_ news from Cameron in Unova."

"How's he doing?" Ash asked, interested, and he could tell that Cilan and Iris in particular were keen to hear an update of what was happening in their home region.

"Well, it hasn't collapsed since the siege of the Unovan League, so small comforts, I guess." That drew a few chuckles, and he felt some of his real bravado return again. "His message stated that he and Alder having been working to get the new champion up to speed and such, and that they will begin to hit the locations of suspected or confirmed Team Plasma holdouts soon, having run a series of stakeouts over the past few days to gather intelligence."

"Well, that sounds like good news." Ash said, stating the obvious to try to raise morale a little, and it seemed to work, though it might just have been the news itself rather than his comment.

"Yes, and it sounds like the region as a whole hasn't been affected much either, which is a good sign for its future stability." Oak agreed.

"Does he actually name the new champion?" Cynthia asked blithely. Lance checked.

"No. No he does not."

"Unsurprising." Cynthia muttered. "Always misses details like that, that we just might like to know…"

"I wonder who they actually are, though…" Cilan considered for a moment, thinking about likely candidates. "I know, maybe it's detective time! I'm sure- Ow, Iris, what was that for?!"

"Sorry, Cilan, but we're a little busy for all that right now…" Iris grumbled, having stopped the possibility of a continuous outpouring of mostly useless information with a quick, light clip around the back of his head.

"Well, that's all for Unova, so now a little closer to home – Kanto." Lance went on. "Perhaps unsurprisingly, there has yet to be the slightest indication of any Team Plasma activity in Kanto; it seems entirely confined to Unova from what we can tell, though no reports from Hoenn, nor Sinnoh, have been entirely confirmed as of yet." Ash could've sworn that he saw Cynthia's face darken at the mention of her region even as Dawn smiled fondly, though after he blinked he couldn't be sure whether it was or was not merely an illusion. "In addition, the league's agents have noticed an interesting decline in Team Rocket activity all across the region."

"That's good, surely?" Misty put forward, and the others all agreed with her.

"Not necessarily." Brock cut in. "They could be planning something and building up resources for it…"

"Precisely, so we're going to be even more on our guard than ever… Without slipping into paranoia."

"So what's next?"

"Moving on to Sinnoh…"

"I think I can cover this one, Lance." Cynthia spoke up. "I can guess what you're going to say, anyway."

"I'm sure you can, go ahead." He said, and she stood up.

"When I took six of you to Celadon City yesterday, I left to travel to Saffron City for a secure channel with the board of my own Pokémon league. While I can hardly reveal anything particular or specific, I can say – as it will soon be public knowledge anyway – that I need to return to Sinnoh to meet them in person; the situation demands it. Evidently, news travels fast…" She trailed off, glancing again at Lance, who nodded.

"Aww, it's been nice to have you with us, Cynthia, we'll be sad to see you go." Dawn said, and the others chorused their agreement and well wishes. Brock attempted to burst out into an ill-conceived serenade, but Misty quickly – and competently – shut him down.

"And I'm sad that I have to leave." Cynthia replied honestly. "I might be able to come back after, but it will depend…"

"Actually, that brings me to issue number four…" Lance chimed in. "I need to ask a favour."

Cynthia tensed. Her suspicions returned with a vengeance; particularly as he was asking so publicly – this was clearly not directed at her alone, from champion to champion, as they normally operated.

"Go on."

"Wallace – champion of Hoenn-" He added for the benefit of Iris, who looked at him blankly. "-has asked me to send someone to help with something that he refused to elaborate on more than suggesting that it was a matter of security. I was hoping that, if you can, you could travel on to assist him after stopping in Sinnoh for your meeting."

"I… I don't see why not." She accepted the task, realising that she had no problem with doing it; indeed, she very much liked Wallace as a friend and as a champion. "I'd be happy to help."

"Excellent."

And then he went further.

_And here we go._

"And I was wondering if some of the others would like to accompany you."

"I'm sorry, what?" Ash said, caught entirely off guard, as were the rest of his friends.

Oak nearly dropped his teacup. Cynthia forgot to close her mouth again.

Lance realised that he had to talk fast, as he could tell from the way that Cynthia's eyes were narrowing and how colour had filled her cheeks that he had very little time to do so. And he hadn't even _looked _at Oak.

"I figure that Cynthia has a greater chance of being useful if she's got some help in the region, and I know for a fact that you two-" He gestured to Ash and Brock. "- have been round it more recently than she has."

"B-but, w-wait, no, Lance!" Cynthia stammered angrily. "This – the danger! You can't-"

"I know it could be dangerous." He cut her off sharply. "But I have every confidence in the skills of Ash and his friends."

"We sort of are pretty good at dealing with danger." Misty admitted, and none of the others who had travelled with Ash disagreed with her.

"But what about our vacation?" Cilan suddenly said sadly. "We've barely had the slightest chance to go around Kanto…"

Ash looked at Cilan and Iris, and realised how disappointed they were at the prospect of leaving the region to follow the others if they went. He saw the same expression replicated across Dawn's face, and realised that, as she had already completed the Hoenn circuit, she too would be disappointed at going so soon.

He then realised what returning to Hoenn could actually _mean,_ and knew what he had to do.

He looked at Pikachu, who nodded determinedly back at him.

"Piikaaa!"

"I'll go alone." He said standing up. Cynthia and Professor Oak looked at him like he was mad, Lance looked pleased, and the others merely looked surprised – again. It was a day of surprises, apparently. "It's not fair to make Cilan, Dawn and Iris go away so soon, and I know how much the lab and the gym mean to you, Tracey and Misty…" They nodded at him. "Brock, would you do _me_ a favour and stay with them until they get back? They kinda need a guide, and I know how reliable you are…"

"Consider it done." The future doctor replied.

"Thanks."

"But, Ash-" Cynthia began, and Oak also went to speak, but Ash, again, got there first.

"But nothing. I mean, I can't make you let me go… But I think Lance is right. I want to help out as much as I can."

"All right. I'd be happy to have you come to." Cynthia accepted finally.

It wasn't like she could realistically refuse him.

"Thanks, Ash." Lance smiled at him – a smile that he returned.

Then he was tackled to the ground by Dawn and Iris in an engulfing hug, as Cilan laid a thankful hand on his shoulder while Brock, Misty and Tracey watched him proudly.

Had he looked away from his group of friends, he would have seen Cynthia and Oak looking utterly defeated, and Lance appearing rather triumphant.

* * *

"You be careful now, Ash." Brock said as they shook hands, then moved back to allow Cilan to do the same.

"Yes, we won't be there to help out, of course, so you'll need to work a little more than normal."

"A lot more, I know. I'm sure I've picked up a few tricks over the years."

"This might help, too." Brock passed him a small book; a small cookbook for beginners with a handful of easy recipes.

"Thanks, guys."

It was very nearly evening, and they were getting ready to leave. Cynthia had retained the vehicle that she had used to drive from Pallet to Celadon the day before, and would drive them to the dock with it to catch the last ferry out to the airport before it became too dark. She had already said her goodbyes to the group and to Oak and Lance; the latter being somewhat strained, though she still managed to hug him, at least.

Delia had been saddened by the swift departure of Pikachu - and her son - once more, but she had been prepared for it nonetheless – it had happened several times before, after all, and she knew what he had to do was important – and counted on Cynthia to keep him safe.

Iris and Tracey were next to wave him off, and repeated the motions that the others had before them. Tracey reminded Ash that he would be happy to send him any of his Pokémon at any time when he wanted; he was just a phone call away, after all. Iris added that he had better remember to bring out Gible once in a while, or there _would _be consequences.

He had swapped around his team again, calling on Bulbasaur to replace Bayleef, much to the latter's chagrin; Staraptor over Unfezant, and the Tauros pack leader for Infernape. Totodile was in as Kingler headed back to the lab, and Boldore took Gible's place.

Dawn followed with a big, tight hug, and told him gently to stay safe, to which he replied with her catchphrase, and they both laughed like maniacs for a little longer than was probably necessary. She took Pikachu from Misty to say goodbye to the Mouse Pokémon, as the red-haired gym leader moved in to talk to Ash.

She, too, hugged him.

"I'm sorry, Misty." He whispered.

"What for?"

"What we talked about yesterday… I do feel like I'm running away again and leaving everyone behind…"

"Nuh uh, Ash." She replied. "Not this time. This time, you're going because you_ are_ needed, and because going alone means that your friends get to do what they want to do. That's a sacrifice, Ash, and that shows maturity."

"Well…"

"Well, yes, I'm sure you don't entirely mind going either." She gave him a wry smile as she broke the hug. "Hoenn, after all…"

"Heh… Yeah…" He could tell that she knew far more than he normally would have liked about what troubled him, but realised that he didn't mind.

"Good luck Ash, and stay safe." They shared one last look as Delia took Pikachu from Dawn and brought him over, to say goodbye to her son and his first Pokémon together.

It was more of a heartfelt goodbye than it usually was, complicated in part by the uncertainty of when they would see each other again – particularly as, in the past; Ash had always been hunting some goal with a finite duration – the Pokémon leagues, for example.

Not this time.

After that farewell, he was thanked again by Lance and wished well by the professor. With all of what needed to be said and done concluded, Ash and Pikachu climbed into the sizeable car, riding shotgun alongside Cynthia, and waved to the others as she started the car and they sped off down the road, riding quickly towards the harbour to make the ferry.

_I didn't think I'd be leaving so soon._ He thought as his friends and family disappeared out of sight. _But I guess Misty's right. It _**will**_ be good seeing Hoenn again… After Sinnoh, anyway._

* * *

Having seen them off, Lance, Tracey and the professor returned to the lab, where Lance would be staying the night given the time – Oak's hospitality had apparently not been eroded entirely by his disagreement with the Kanto champion over Ash.

The others had filed back into Ash's house where, of course, they would be staying the night. Misty excused herself immediately, while the others entered the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes later, Piplup had sniffed the air, and then suddenly jumped out of Dawn's arms and waddled out of the room. She followed him, curious and confused by his behaviour.

He moved intriguingly fast compared to normal, and Dawn only just caught a glimpse of him entering Ash's room before she lost sight of him again.

She opened the door properly to find him chewing into a bowl of Pokemon food – she was more impressed by his ability to smell it from downstairs than by its actual fairly random presence.

Then Dawn realised that she was not alone.

Right in the centre of the bed, arms crossed and legs folded, sat Misty.

"Hey, Dawn." Her face held a certain sadness to it that worried her at the time. "We need to talk."

* * *

_The beauty of it is they never see it coming. Ever._

_- Razzik, Sparkmage, __**Shock, M12**_


	13. Focus

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Thanks again for the review, Nauran! I'm glad you think that they can work well together, and I'm sure we'll find out what's so great about Hoenn soon.

And thanks for the review korne-pokemon-luv! I hope that I can continue writing as you have described, thank you, and I hope that you'll continue to enjoy the story too.

* * *

Those who remained in Pallet Town started the following day by saying farewell for the time being to one more person.

Misty was returning to her gym and her responsibilities in Cerulean City, more out of unfortunate necessity than out of actual desire.

She had already visited the lab and seen Lance, the professor and Tracey again before departing, having awoken even earlier than she had two days before. Now, she said goodbye to the others, arrayed out in front of Ash's house in a formation that was becoming familiar.

The skies were dark in a way that threatened rain, a stark contrast to the constant radiance that had defined them over the past week wherever they had been, and it seemed poetically fitting, as Cilan had suggested to Brock, that they would be so gloomy on a day filled with another - arguably premature - departure.

Iris asked him whether he was a poetry connoisseur now to, and told him to shut up before he could begin to respond to her taunting.

"It's a pity you have to go so soon, Misty, we didn't get to have a battle in the end." Iris had suddenly realised that unfortunate fact the night before after Ash had gone.

"I wish I could stay, but without me my sisters just can't handle the gym. They start giving out badges for nothing, the chores don't get done; it's pretty bad." Misty climbed onto her bike and made sure that her bag was secure as she replied. "But I suppose they do get quite busy doing all the modelling stuff, and I don't mind running it that much really..."

"Yeah, we know how important the gym is to you."

"It's okay."

Brock and Cilan knew a little something about gyms operated by family, though given the Striaton brothers' efficiency, Brock could probably emphasize a little more with their red-haired friend than Cilan could.

"We'll have to do more contest battles at some point."

"Definitely."

"Sound good, Dawn?" Piplup chirped back happily in agreement, but its trainer, who had remained entirely silent up until this point, took a little longer to reply.

Uh, yeah, Misty. That sounds… great." Her eyes were a little unfocused, she seemed dazed and her tone spoke of a mix of denial and sadness.

Misty looked back at her sympathetically and reached over to gently place her hand on Dawn's shoulder.

"It'll get better. Don't worry."

Dawn nodded weakly in return, though the motion seemed to be aimed at convincing herself rather than actually agreeing with Misty.

"Nothing to worry about…"

Misty withdrew her hand and brought it over her head in a final gesture, then began pedalling up the road towards Viridian City and beyond, building up speed as she went on.

"See ya, Misty!"

"Goodbye!"

They continued waving until Misty was out of sight, and then began to head up to Oak's lab; Lance had given Misty a message to pass on, earlier, requesting their presence after she left.

"Do you know what that was about back then, between Dawn and Misty?" Cilan asked Brock quietly as they walked, hoping he could shed some light on the situation.

Brock only shrugged.

"Girls. Who knows?"

They had quickly_ all_ discovered something interesting about travelling as they were now, not that the current excursion was much of a journey, but the fact that it became apparent to them so quickly spoke volumes about the obviousness of what they now faced.

It was most jarring for Cilan and Iris, while Brock and Dawn realised that they had felt it before.

They'd woken up, tried to think about what they might be doing that day, and simply found that they couldn't picture _anything_.

It was partly due to Ash's absence, so they all separately decided.

When they had been travelling with Ash, whether in the past or more recently, they had always been moving forward. Sure, they had taken each day at a time before, but there had been an overriding goal with an end in sight.

Brock's primary goal was on hold, at the moment, for the simple reason that it was summer vacation from the centre in Pewter City at which he studied. Unlike his previous travels, he had no wish to visit his family as desperately as he had wanted to after Johto or Hoenn because he had been living with them for the past year.

He could review what he had learned in the past view; he could go over and over the information, try to research something new at the Pewter City library, or even go further afield to some of the larger, more well-stocked facilities located in central Kanto; but even doctors-to-be needed a break, sometimes.

Indeed, having not even the slightest thing to set his eyes on in the next two months at _this _exact moment - no object to visualise in his mind's eye - was what annoyed him the most.

Dawn's goal had reverted to contests and coordinating. Her brief time helping Hermione with fashion design – centred around Buneary - in Sinnoh had been a nice change of pace, but had been short-lived, and her loss in the Hoenn Grand Festival final had been difficult for her. She had reacted with the same humility she had displayed in Sinnoh, but had done so without the support of her closest friends; even Zoey had been absent; entirely out of the region in fact, having chosen to travel to Johto first instead.

The weeks that had followed had been tough, and she had very much enjoyed her time in Unova, and her time in Kanto so far, as a break from thinking about it all. She badly wanted to get back to practicing regularly for the next contest circuit, but the Kanto Grand Festival had already occurred barely a month ago, and the local contests in the region would not resume for another month – and who knew where she would be by then? With the others, on the road again, or back home?

Spending time with Ash again had been the highlight of her trip, but now that he was gone…

And then there was what _Misty _had said…

Iris' realisation took the form of a recurring problem for her, a nagging doubt about her aims that flared up at times, often brought on by random happenstance, just like Ash's constant reappraisal of his overarching quest.

She wanted to be a dragon master. She knew that. But what kind of dragon master, as Georgia had said many a time, only had half of a team of dragons? Georgia's appearances were often one of the catalysts for these relapses in her pondering, but once she had started thinking about it, she was unable to stop with conscious force of will. One glance at Axew, so frequently nestled in her hair as he was, and she would be dragged back to face her problems. Not that she ever solved them.

She couldn't believe that anything that Georgia said had annoyed her so deeply, and yet here she was.

She loved all of her Pokémon dearly, and her recent capture of Dragonite near Undella Town had gone a long way to revitalising the earliest feelings of confidence that she had felt about her plan.

But that was part of the problem; she had no_ plan_. No_ organisation_. Her goal seemed more straightforward than Ash's on the surface, more easily quantified; "dragon master", after all, simply suggested a mastery of, ownership of and deep friendship with a multitude of dragon-type Pokémon. But where was she on that road? Ash could claim from his improving results in previous conferences that he was "getting closer", but could she do the same in any realistic way?

She might be closer now that she had one more dragon-type on her team, perhaps, but was it really a huge leap forward, or merely a small step on a long road that she had barely yet begun?

She didn't know even where to begin thinking properly about resolving all of those issues, and she cherished any amount of time that they passed out of her mind, without even realising _why _she cherished it.

Cilan found that his intentions were as simple as they had been when he had first joined Ash and Iris on the road. He had wanted to meet new people and Pokémon, see more of the outside world – or at least of Unova, having never expected to leave the region that was and would always be his home. He had wanted to improve his skills as a Connoisseur, perhaps to advance to the stage, a level of competency, wherein he felt ready to attempt to join the hallowed ranks of the elite, the few, the S-class evaluators.

But even then, he had done so with some framework, some level of guidance, a set goal in mind. The group's dynamic had been fluid and had grown as they had grown as friends, but whether knowingly or not Ash had done the most to shape it by following the path to the Unova league.

Now that Ash had left for Sinnoh and Hoenn, Cilan wasn't sure what the focus of the group was anymore. Or if there even _was_ any focus.

Indeed, these were questions that all of the now much smaller group found themselves asking as they made their way to Oak's lab in silence.

_What are we going to do from now on?_

_Where are we going to go next?_

* * *

As it turned out, Lance had the solution to their woes, but that came later in the day, and was unrelated to his initial reasons for calling them to the lab.

The first reason he gave was to apologise for prompting Ash to accompany Cynthia to Sinnoh and leaving them, something that he did very soon after Tracey had opened the door and let the group in. They had waved away his words, telling him not to worry about it; Ash had agreed, after all, and it was important. Lance then praised them warmly, and noted just how lucky Ash was to have such understanding friends.

They briefly wondered if Oak had put the champion of Kanto up to this; the professor was certainly conspicuous in his lack of presence at their arrival, given that he would normally eat breakfast in the lounge at this time of day after feeding the Pokémon with Tracey; a daily ritual that Brock had discovered on his first stay in Pallet Town.

They were proven wrong, however, as Lance led them into the lab's outer grounds, where they found the professor waiting for them. The two appeared to have buried the argument that they had had the day before, or at least suppressed it to a degree adequate enough for them to hold a casual conversation in a respectable manner.

The second reason for having the group of four trek up to the lab was centred on Iris, and the promise that Lance had made to her the day before about a certain dragon/flying dual-type Pokémon that both of them happened to care for – as did a certain Pokémon professor, too.

"Iris, could you send Dragonite out for us?" Lance asked pleasantly, and Iris was happy to oblige. Her powerhouse burst out of its airborne Poké ball with a garrulous cry.

"Ok, now what?"

"Ready, professor?"

"Why, you first, champion."

"All right. Go, Dragonite!"

Oak threw his a moment later, both balls soaring briefly against the dark sky.

Lance's finest emerged onto the grassy field, stretching its wings and taking a deep breath of fresh air, while Oak's Dragonite hovered briefly in the end before dropping and carefully examining Iris' Dragonite.

"Professor, I didn't know you had a Dragonite too!" Iris was awestruck, caught between her admiration of the quiet composure exemplified by Oak's and the dramatic poise exhibited by Lance's.

"Yes, Dratini was one of the first Pokémon that I actually caught, back when I was a young trainer much like yourselves. Now, then, how did that story go…"

"What're they doing?" Dawn interrupted, pointing at the three Dragon Pokémon in front of her.

Lance's and Oak's Pokémon were familiar with each, that much was obvious from the way they acted. They treated the newcomer with curiosity, and, impressively, Iris' Dragonite did not seem to be either angry, grumpy - or even simply frowning - for the first time in its life.

Instead, it had moved in close to the other Dragonite, and began to sniff them intently, a motion which they reciprocated.

As one, they moved back, tensing their bodies and took to the sky with a strong flap of their blue-orange wings.

"Wh-where are they going?" Iris cried as they began to fly away.

"Relax, Iris." Oak chuckled as a thud sounded out across the area, signifying that the three Pokémon had landed safely on the roof of his lab. "I think they're just going to have a little get together and talk a few things over. In the meantime, why don't we go do the same?"

They were all agreed that such would be quite lovely, if for no other reason than that they had nothing else in mind, and so traipsed back into the lab again. Tracey passed them as they went in, humming a tune under his breath and carrying a box of Pokémon food to the hungry customers at its destination.

"Well, young master Ketchum has left for regions afar, and you all seem to find yourselves on vacation at this point." Oak summarised their current situation as he saw it while they made themselves comfortable once more on his plush velvet sofa. Lance stood off to the side, given the lack of room, and examined an impressive illustration of a Bulbasaur, tagged with the name of " " in a bottom right-hand caption.

"Pretty much, professor." Brock replied.

"Well, what are you going to do on it?" Their host had filled a kettle and began to boil the water while preparing the cups to receive it.

"We… uh…"

"We weren't really sure yet."

"Hmm. Well, none of you are hunting for gym badges. Dawn is the only coordinator amongst you, and the new contest season hasn't begun yet… There doesn't seem to be any driving goal that you could follow, anything like that to pursue."

The professor had cut right to the heart of the matter, they all quickly realised, and _he_ wasn't even the one experiencing this loss of direction.

"That's the problem!" Iris gasped. "That's exactly the problem!"

Oak nodded, and loaded the cups onto a tray, which he handed round to the four trainers, then took one himself and gave the last to Lance.

"I guess one of us could do the gym challenge…" Brock suggested.

"Last time I had a gym battle it didn't exactly go too well." Dawn pointed out.

"Or maybe the Battle Frontier…"

"How would that go any better?"

"Fair point."

"Are there any other big competitions around in Kanto at the moment, Lance?" Cilan had suddenly remembered that the Indigo League champion was an expert on the tourism industry in his region.

Lance's eyes flashed as he turned to regard the trainers, a wry smile on his face. It seemed that this was a favourite, well-rehearsed topic of his.

"Well, where do I begin? This year, Kanto has the rights to some of the greatest entertainment events in the world! We've got the soccer world cup coming in September, the baccer international finals in October and even the world cooking invitational in December!"

Brock and Cilan were interested in the last one, but Iris shook her head.

"I think he meant things that we could take part in… And a little sooner, too."

"Well, there are the Pokémon Tag Team tournaments going around the region at the moment; I think you participated in one of them a few days ago?"

"Ah, so that's what that was!"

"Yeah. On top of that, you have the-"

"Maybe there's another way here." Oak cut in, eager to return to the point that he had originally been pushing. "Perhaps, instead of going for some event or some specific long term goal, why don't you just take a look around the region?"

"What do you mean?" This puzzled them all.

"Well, just see the sights? Go on an actual vacation? You can keep what you're doing flexible, so that you've always got options, but why not have a proper explore of this beautiful region?"

The professor was sounded a little more like Lance with each word that he spoke, but what he said made sense to the trainers.

_Just… see the sights…_

_No goal in mind…_

_A nice break… from thinking about… him…._

_An actual __**vacation.**_

Why hadn't they thought of it before?

"I'm sure that your Pokémon would appreciate it, too." Oak continued. "And really, it won't be that much different from travelling like you have in the past, but the difference will be in your mind-set."

"That actually sounds… pretty good." Iris said, and the others were similarly warming up to it.

"There are quite a few things I'd like to see around Kanto, in fact, and they don't all have to do with Pokémon." Cilan pulled out his tablet and flicked the screen across to a "favourites" tab.

"Oh no, here we go." Iris muttered, seeing a certain familiar mechanical construct as the others leaned in to look as well.

"The Magnet Train is the crown jewel of the metro connoisseur world!" He declared, flicking across a few pictures of said vehicle, as Brock and Dawn looked on in confusion. "Although technically it isn't part of a subway, but it's just so cool and pretty that the Council of Metro Connoisseurs decided that it would qualify based on the fact that it goes underwater!"

"Does he… always do _this_?" Dawn whispered to Iris as Cilan's voice steadily rose in pitch and volume and his face darkened red in excitement.

"Unfortunately yes." Iris confirmed.

"And it's not even mass-produced! I'd love to just see those wheels spinning in action, hear the engine humming as a backdrop to the gentle breeze passing outside the window as- hey!" Iris stopped his babbling with a sharp poke to the ribs.

"We get it, all right!"

"Y'know, I didn't get much of a chance to see Celadon's fashions…" Dawn pondered the possibility of further comparisons with those that she already knew about in Sinnoh, distracted now by images of possible variations in colour and style of what she had already seen that flashed through her mind.

"Who knows what else you'll find if you give such travelling a chance?" Lance put in, unfolding his arms. _Got 'em now._ _Hook, line and sinker. _"I've got a lot of leaflets that I can give you, you can make something of a plan from there, and for the little details like navigation, well, Brock, you know both regions pretty well at this point, I'm sure you'd be an excellent guide."

"And I'd be happy to!" Brock beamed.

"Plus, with my tablet providing maps, how can we go wrong?" Cilan cried.

"Quite easily, given past experience…" Iris muttered, motioning to Brock that she intended to explain to him about it later. _Oh, the white forest…_

"Plus, there's no need to remain in Kanto. Johto's just a quick ride away on your favourite Magnet Train, Cilan." Lance added, seemingly suddenly remembering that, as Indigo League champion, he also held responsibility over the western territories too.

Dawn's eyes glistened at the thought of examining Goldenrod's latest offerings in the shopping sphere too.

Cilan's eyes glistened at the idea of riding the Magnet Train.

The four trainers needed no further convincing. Not any more.

Axew and Piplup took the chance to make noises of contentment, indicating their desire for their trainers to decide upon that course of action.

The way forward was suddenly clear to them.

"Lance, Professor Oak, thank you!" Dawn beamed, standing up as the elite trainer and the professor exchanged a smile. "You've been an amazing help!"

"Glad to be of service." Lance gave a theatrical bow, while Oak nodded.

"So when will you leave?" He asked.

Brock, Cilan, Dawn and Iris shared a glance and realised that they were all thinking exactly along the same lines now.

Thinking clearly.

Thinking forward.

"Just after lunch, I'd say." Brock said, and the others affirmed it with one more nod of their heads.

* * *

When Iris came to collect Dragonite, straight after lunch, something had changed in the Dragon Pokémon.

Whatever it had had to say to its fellows, its behaviour was an obvious indication that it had been deeply affected by the meeting.

Where before it had been rambunctious, angry and at one point barely obedient… Now it was clearly different.

It was waiting for her, to start with. It had fluttered down with the others during their lunch, and had noticed her approach long before she noticed it, even with the benefit of being inside.

There were other changes, far more obvious than such subtle gestures. It was calmer, no longer as noisy. It harrumphed gently when she returned, waved _happily _at the other Dragonite, and then seemed overjoyed at returning to the confines of its ball.

Not overjoyed as in it was overjoyed that it was leaving the others as soon as possible.

Overjoyed by the prospect of being reunited with Iris once again.

It was, by now, truly content for her to be its trainer, and she could tell that it would obey her without question from now on.

She knew, of course, because of her ability to read the hearts of dragons.

And she _was _overjoyed at that knowledge, and said as much to Oak and Lance, who, again, were extremely pleased to have helped in such a way.

They did as they said they would, and departed after lunch, having had the chance to quickly peruse a selection of the leaflets that Lance had provided them, and having used those resources in the time that they had to choose their first destination.

A quaint little restaurant in Viridian City, where they had booked reservations for dinner that night.

Lance, Tracey and the professor all came to see them off, shouting words of encouragement and wishing them luck wherever they found themselves next.

Tracey had said goodbye to Brock in particular, having the strongest bond with the friend that he had known for the longest time, but still knew enough about the others to wish them well in their endeavours too.

Before they had departed, Lance had given them each a gift; a gold pass for the Magnet Train, equating to free travel whenever they pleased, courtesy of his powers as champion, and had instructed them, with a twinkle in his eye, to use them as much as they wanted, and spend a good deal of time – and money! – in the shops of both Kanto and Johto. He also gave Brock his Pokégear number, just in case.

Oak, too, had one final gift, slipping it into Dawn's hands as they began walking away. She opened it to find six lines of writing, separated in half by a thick line, and followed by a little added paragraph of handwritten scrawl. Two haikus and an explanation.

One was by the professor, and concerned Iris and Dragonite.

Evidently he could think and write fast.

The other, however, was not penned by the professor, but by someone very close to him.

"He said that you'd like this." Dawn whispered, blushing a little as she read aloud the words at the bottom that were directed to her, and Brock giggled like a little girl until Iris shut him up with a clip around the back of his head, declaring that it was the sweetest thing that she had ever heard, and that whoever this "Gary" person was, they were lucky to know him.

"He did remember…"

And suddenly, like all of the others, she was smiling a lot more that day.

Their past concerns, their past worries, all behind them for the moment.

All that mattered was moving forward, and they would make the best of what they found.

They took a brief break along the road to thank Delia for her hospitality, but explained that they unfortunately could not dally.

They followed the road out of Pallet Town, renewed in both heart and mind by their newfound focus.

* * *

"I'm sorry I doubted you, Lance." Oak said to the champion as they went back outside; Oak to recall his Dragonite, and Lance to leave the lab on the back of his.

That was how he arrived in the first place, after all.

"Mhm."

"I'm always just so worried about them, Ash _and_ the others, and it seemed to me that you were putting him in needless danger the other day." Oak sighed, feeding his Dragonite a couple of pieces of Pokémon food, having chosen to let the Dragon Pokémon stay out to watch its friend depart.

"I'm sorry it seemed that way, and I can see how it did." Lance replied, climbing onto his Pokémon's back and stroking a wing gently. "That's why I wanted to help the others find out what they wanted to do."

"So, no hard feelings?"

"None at all, old friend."

They shook hands again, and then the champion moved his other hand to rest lightly on his Dragonite's shoulder, giving the command to take off that it knew so well.

It ascended rapidly into the air, and he clung carefully on with one hand, waving to the diminishing profile of the professor below as they flew away.

And then they were soaring across the sky, and off towards the Indigo League.

The professor gave his Pokémon a few more bites to eat and a little more careful attention before he returned it to its Poké ball.

He worried about Lance. Despite his strength, there were times when the champion could lose track of himself, become so immersed in his work that he lost focus on everything else…

Oak was glad to see that the day's events meant that the same was not happening now.

Meanwhile, Lance sighed, and finally let the mask drop. His features fell, his brow creased and his frown returned.

His Dragonite, knowing his moods and feelings so well from sustained contact over the years, suddenly saddened sympathetically too.

It really, really was hard lying to continue lying to friends like this. Every moment of contact was a moment he regretted, because they were moments passed without him breaking down and revealing the truth.

The truth, of course, being that the situation was far worse than almost everyone knew.

He _had_ found a deep level of corruption in his region, but even he hadn't the slightest clue how far deep it went. In the industries, into politics… Maybe even the gym leaders and the Pokémon league? Likely to other regions, given similar reports that he had been given by Wallace and Steven.

It was ironic that, despite knowing – or just believing; who could tell? - about this conspiracy's existence, he had almost no details whatsoever about who might be really be involved or what they might do – and who was just a pawn in their game.

All that he could tell was that Team Rocket was up to something _big_, and it had_ might_ have had something to do with whatever they had been planning in Unova.

Dragonite kept well below the cloud level, but even banking hard they were still caught unawares by a sudden shift in the wind direction, and drenched by the unexpected appearance of a storm cloud above them.

He couldn't trust Oak with the truth; that was really for his fellow champions. But what worried him was that he hadn't told Cynthia or even Cameron about the true extent of his fears.

Was he just being overly paranoid?

Or were they more useful if kept in the dark about a few things?

He didn't like that line of thinking at all, given how far it put him along the road to being just like those he believed were at greatest fault.

But it wouldn't go away, and was the source of his current brooding.

Oak had been right, and Cynthia had been right to worry the day before. He_ had_ asked Ash to accompany Cynthia to Sinnoh and then Hoenn because he hoped that by snooping around, as they naturally would, they might find something useful.

And he_ had _suggested a proper vacation of exploration, a journey of discovery, to Brock, Cilan, Dawn and Iris – three of whom he had never even met before – simply because he hoped that they might find something beneficial to the homeland security of the region.

_Maybe even blow the whole conspiracy wide open. I daren't hope._

And at the same time, Lance hated doing this. He hated putting them at risk like this. He did care about their well-being, and ultimately would have preferred to have avoided the whole situation entirely.

But he truly was desperate; at his wit's end, in fact. Three months of brick walls and dead ends had taken their toll on his restraint. He was willing to do anything, _anything, _to protect his region. _As a champion should._

But even acknowledging the pragmatic ruthlessness of that very concept made him dually angry and sad at what he been driven to become.

* * *

The weather on the road to Viridian City had not improved, but they didn't care. Indeed, they took it as an upside that they missed the rain, dashing into the Pokémon centre as the first heavy drops of the downpour began to fall.

Their reservations were not for several hours, and so upon their arrival they used the opportunity to consider their next move and spend some quality time with their Pokémon.

Brock, in addition, decided to overcome his irrational phobia of Jigglypuff – with Cilan's help of course – spurred on by the knowledge that Ash had not yet entirely succeeded at doing so before he had left. Brock had more or less succeeded when the time came to leave for the restaurant, and they were also fortunate in that the rain finally ceased just as they walked out of the centre doors.

They took that as a good sign.

The four trainers hardly proceeded to splash out on their food at dinner that night, mindful of the need to conserve their funds for what they might do in the future, but still ate with gusto, aware that they did not intend to eat like this very often.

And, anyway, they _were_ on vacation.

They decided over the meal that they would make a quick stop in Pewter City the next day to see the museum and visit Brock's family, before moving on to see Misty in Cerulean after crossing Mount Moon.

Nurse Joy had offered to take care of their Pokémon while they were eating, and Brock was obviously unable to refuse such a pretty face, so Axew and Piplup, along with all of their Poké balls, were temporarily absent from the group.

Finishing up, they declared a toast – to Lance and to Professor Oak; to Ash and Cynthia, wherever they currently were, and to their future journey and friendship, and felt very good having done so.

They sauntered back as the evening turned into full blown night, to retrieve their Pokémon and then sleep at the centre, bellies full and minds very much at ease, entirely unaware that they had been carefully watched and their conversations recorded the entire time.

The operatives slipped out of the restaurant shortly after their objectives did, pursuing them a little further up to the entrance of the centre, then dashing down several streets to a side road, in which sat their temporary accommodation for the duration of their stay in Viridian City.

Which would be as long as their targets stayed there. No more, no less.

They were professionals, and they would always get the job done.

* * *

That information was quickly processed into a summary by the field operatives, collated, collected and sent off to headquarters for the appropriate action to be taken.

It was shunted rapidly from department to department, sent across from operator to operator, division to sub-division, flagged multiple times across its journey.

It reached the desk of the boss in less than an hour from when it had been sent off.

"The operatives were entirely certain about this?" Giovanni asked. His secretary nodded.

"Yes, sir. They were very clear." She replied.

"Ash Ketchum has left the region?"

"Yes, sir."

"Accompanied by the Sinnoh champion?"

"Yes, sir."

"It worries me that we are only hearing of this now. I assumed that we have operatives at the Kanto airport that they would have used."

"I believe that we do, sir. I will look into it, and report back to you."

"They discussed their Pokémon at the table, and you were able to cross-reference that with what data we have from the tag battle tournament operation to produce a reliable database on these new trainers?" He went on, satisfied.

"Yes, sir. The data is available for your review when you please."

"And the operatives will continue to tail them for as long as we need them to."

"Yes sir. Buck, erm, Bick? Well, Cassidy and the operative partnered with her will continue following them until you order otherwise."

"Keep me appraised on that." He said, then changed the topic to other matters. "Are the future tag battle tournaments still ready to go ahead?"

"No problems have been reported so far, sir. They should continue as planned."

"And does that mean that the plan will continue as we have discussed before?"

"Yes, sir." Her face betrayed no hint of what dark things they both knew that plan contained, and neither did his expression alter in return.

"Excellent." Giovanni flicked a tab open on the touch screen before him, absently moved a hand down to stroke the fur on the back of the purring Persian beside him. "What of the operatives in Unova?"

"No recent reports, sir. We can only assume that they remain in place for further instruction as you ordered them to."

"Very well. Thank you for these updates. I await your next briefing."

He dismissed her with a wave of his hand; she bowed, and left, walking back out into the labyrinthine maze of corridors that the Team Rocket headquarters was defined by.

He span around in his chair, then slowly stood up and gazed for a long time at the large, embossed red symbol on the back wall of his office that stood for Team Rocket's presence. Power. Influence.

The legacy that Team Rocket rightfully deserved.

_Not long now._ He thought. _Not long at all._

* * *

_Instinct blood-tinted his world until he could see only one thing clearly. His prey._

_- __**Predatory Focus, Guildpact**_


	14. Hidden

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Thanks again for the review, Nauran. More champions in this one, too.

To the first guest review, thanks for the specifics, I have changed that now. I can say that the TRio's role in this story isn't quite done yet; we'll see how that plays out later.

To the second guest review, thanks. In terms of future Pokémon appearances, I would like to include as many of Ash's old Pokémon as I can without crowding them all out, including ones that he doesn't keep at his lab, where appropriate. As for human appearances, well, if I said any more it would be too big of a spoiler.

To the third guest review, thanks. Shipping of certain types will play a more prominent role in future chapters, but I do not intend for any kind of romance to become the primary driving force behind this story insofar as it could supersede the overall plot; Venatus will still be adventure with just a dash of mystery.

Incidentally, I can say from personal experience that it is a very, very bad idea to discover a new anime – say, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, for example – and end up binging on it when you're trying to finish a long chapter of a story. Really, really bad idea.

* * *

The flight to Sinnoh took nowhere near as long as the journey back to Kanto from Unova had, but, Ash supposed, that was to be expected given the fact that Unova was nearly three times the distance from his home region than the other regions had been _put together_.

Flying to Sinnoh was also a definite twist on how he travelled, and not one that he particularly enjoyed. His usual mode of transportation between the regions had been via the ocean, resting comfortably on top of some form of cruise liner or at least a reasonably well-put together transport vessel.

He liked such travelling because it always gave him a little time to reflect on the experiences that he had been through on his immediately previous journey as he returned home, or look forward to new possibilities on voyages to lands that he had yet to be familiar with.

He had never been seasick, either, which had been something that had plagued May, just once, when they had just been starting out on their Hoenn adventure.

He smiled to himself briefly at the thought of his brunette friend, but then his current predicament decided to resurface, and he groaned out loud.

Well, he wasn't being airsick. Just suffering from a rather case severe of jet lag.

He was exhausted, but his body wouldn't let him sleep even as much as he wanted to.

He'd felt the same on arriving – and returning from – Unova, if a little worse given the distance. But Sinnoh was still far away enough from Kanto to have caused his internal clock to be running a little slow, and as it was he had hardly entirely recovered from the last bout of Unova-induced jet lag in the first place.

He only really fully became aware of the paradigm shift resulting from hopping between the time zones so quickly when he discovered that it was still light when they touched down, despite it being dusk upon their departure two hours earlier.

Even then, he'd still been awake, if a little tired by the lack of movement for two whole hours in a cramped, cheap flight – a far cry from the previous one that they had boarded. Lance had conspired to somehow procure them tickets for the last "afternoon" flight out of the South Kanto Islands airport, just before the intermission as the night flight pilots and staff preferred for their shifts.

What had unfortunately subsequently been in store for him, however, had actually created the greatest deal of his misery; a gruelling, four hour car journey out of the Sinnoh airport, located in Jubilife City, all of the way to the "closest" Sinnoh league headquarters in Veilstone City. Which included a nice, bumpy, in actual fact all-round horrible escapade of crossing Mount Coronet. At night.

Cynthia had explained to him on the plane that "closest" actually meant "as far as the board can be bothered to travel to meet you in person at any given time", and had said so with a conspiratorial, if vaguely annoyed, grin across her face. She had retained that expression as they were practically frog-marched into an imposing-looking building marked with the league's trademark insignia, and looked at him sympathetically – and perhaps a tad enviously - as she was led away to an inner room, while he had been held back by the beefy-looking security guards and forced to remain outside.

And_ that_ was how he had ended up sitting down outside the room that Cynthia had disappeared into, desperate for sleep, yet coming no closer to achieving that goal with every passing second, waiting for her to emerge.

Waiting for a full _hour and a half,_ as it eventually turned out.

Speaking of his current, only human travelling companion, she had been of little comfort during the car journey to their destination, albeit through little fault of her own. Perhaps more used to traversing long distances in very little periods of time, given her vocation, Cynthia had fallen asleep barely ten minutes after they had been directed to and ushered into the car upon exiting the just-landed airplane that they had flown in, her hair fallen down to obscure her eyes as she snoozed lightly, the backdrop outside once again turning from a late-evening dim light to the darkness of night, illuminated only by a few stars amid the haze above. He had to admit that she had been good company up til then, regaling him with tales of her earliest battles and laughing kindly at his rather attempts to compare them with his own experiences; attempts that even he quickly realised were hardly applicable. It had certainly not been aboring_ flight_, at least.

Pikachu, too, had been fast asleep throughout the car journey. Pokémon didn't become jet-lagged, apparently.

Ash had fixed onto thinking about his first Pokémon as a way to pass the time he spent waiting, first in the car, then outside the room in the league building, having long since given up trying to even guess what Cynthia and her superiors were discussing inside. He had realised it had been a while since he had used Pikachu in a battle, and resolved to give the little guy a chance to see some action sometime soon.

He knew that Pikachu was aware that he had needed to give some of his older Pokémon some practice, and indeed overjoyed at the prospect of seeing some old faces once again. Ash was thankful for his starter's understanding, but knew that it must still grate with the Mouse Pokémon to remain on the side lines for so long, recalling the annoyance that the electric-type had displayed after being left out of Ash's battle strategy for so long back in his gym battle against Elesa in Nimbasa City.

As unfortunate irony demanded, he had only just begun to even think that he might be falling asleep when the sound of angry voices from the forbidden room beyond dragged him back into unpleasant wakefulness. Pikachu's ears picked up and he yawned; the Pokémon had also been alerted to the shouts and came to an uneasy steadiness on Ash's lap.

"Wonder could be going on…"Ash got up, taking Pikachu into his arms as he did so. The security guard at the desk across the room also looked equally concerned.

Ash managed to make out one of the increasingly louder and vociferous voices as Cynthia's, just before the door burst open and the champion emerged into the waiting area.

"Cynthia!" A loud, demanding voice called out after her; a man followed her out of the previously-locked doors, clearly dressed for business and walking with an air that almost screamed self-importance. "Do not do anything rash. We will not stand for this. The board will-"

"I'm not doing anything rash." Cynthia turned her face briefly, cutting across him with an icy tone, having apparently regained volume control, as Ash had to struggle to hear her in his jet-lagged state. "We talked in that room for closer to two hours than one, and we clearly won't agree. And the board won't do anything, because the degree of their authority rather depends on my level of co-operation. Sure, they can make my life a little miserable, but I'll be nobody's pawn for such pathetic aims. I'll see you all after I'm done in Hoenn. Probably." She began walking quickly, then added over her shoulder. "Come on, Ash. We're done here."

"Uh, right." He simply followed her as she stomped through the halls of the building, pausing only briefly to allow the automatic exit door to catch up, then proceeded quickly out into the parking lot.

The man that she had been talking to made no attempt to follow them, and neither did any of the guards or other personnel. They went unchallenged as Cynthia pointed out a familiar looking car parked in one of the most distant bays from the way that they had come; he climbed in to the front passenger seat as Cynthia started the engine and took the wheel, guiding them out, onto the roads and into the night once more.

* * *

Ash could tell that she was still angry even if her manner now suggested that she wasn't, and her face betrayed no sign of outward rage either. He realised that he'd never, ever seen her lose control, and this was a mere continuation of that fact – even when facing down Cyrus atop Spear Pillar, and when outnumbered and outwitted by Team Rocket's heinous gambit on the plateau, she had only seethed with a tranquil fury. Nothing more.

Come to think of it, neither of the other two champions that he had seen in a particularly desperate situation – Cameron and Lance – had ever shown themselves to be incandescent with rage _seriously_. Even Lance had attempted to talk the near-corrupted, deranged Archie down from his ridiculous plans of flooding the world rather than unleashing his own fury against the madman.

Not having a roof on this make of car – the one that Cynthia seemed to prefer – caused the wind to rush past them at an almost frightening speed. It would have been pleasant on a hot summer's day, or probably even at night at any other time.

Not when all he really wanted was to fall into blissful sleep…

"Where're we going?" He asked after a while. The headlights illuminated their path across the roads ahead, but Ash was surprised that she was driving as confidently – or recklessly, as some might call it - as she was now.

"Sunnyshore airport, for the flight to Hoenn." That was her rather brisk reply, though her tone softened with each word she spoke; clearly she had yet to fully adjust again to not speaking to someone who she _wasn't _angry at. "I got the tickets before we left Kanto; Lance didn't think that far ahead. Don't worry; we won't be going over Mount Coronet again."

Ash sighed in relief, then thought of something else that bothered him slightly.

"Are_ you_ all right?"

"Me?" Cynthia blinked, with her eyes still firmly on the road. "I'm a little tired, but with the sleep that I had earlier I can drive just fine. Had a little coffee at the league building, but no alcohol, don't worry about that."

_A little too cheerful, really…_

Her attempt at levity did little to make him feel better in this situation.

"I didn't mean it like that." He pressed, unsure as to whether she had simply taken the other meaning of his phrase on purpose or not. "What happened back in there?"

"I, uh. Um. Don't really want to talk about it right now."

She was no longer angry, but the way that she said the last sentence brooked no further room for discussion of that topic; he chose not to continue it, and they sat in silence for the rest of the drive.

Crossing Mount Coronet really had lengthened their earlier journey, as they arrived in Sunnyshore just over an hour after their quick departure from the league headquarters.

Even this late at night – or was it the very early morning now? Ash could hardly tell, by this point – Sunnyshore was still as luminescent as it was in daylight, if not even more so; the darkness kept at bay by the high-voltage electrical components spread out across the city, even as it sacrificed the majority of its hustle and bustle as most of the inhabitants got a good night's rest.

_What I wouldn't give for one of __**those **__right now…_

He wondered briefly about the possibility of seeing Volkner again, however briefly for, but as it turned out Cynthia hadn't been exaggerating when she talked about their latest batch of plane tickets. They were flying out within thirty minutes of making it to the city limits.

_Evidently Cynthia really hadn't been expecting to stay longer after all…_

_Whatever._

At last, his sheer exhaustion overcame the foolhardy restraints that his body had placed on him, and he finally drifted off into well-desired rest as the plane soared over the eastern limits of the Sinnoh region, taking it across an impressive view of the actual Sinnoh league headquarters as it did so.

A view that a certain blonde-haired, grey-eyed passenger took in with a vague, detached disdain as she too succumbed to the call of a little more, long-avoided rest.

_That mess'll be fun to deal with when I get back._

_Oh well._

* * *

**Bump.**

_Hey, Ash._

**Bump.**

_Ash?_

Whoever the voice calling out to him was, they were female. He could tell that, at least.

**Bump. Bump. **

"Five more minutes…" He kept his eyes shut tight.

Misty, May, Dawn or Iris? He couldn't tell.

_Ash, you might want to…_

**Bump. Bump. BUMP.**

"Aaaargh!" He finally, properly awoke, clutching his head and feeling at the bruise that was quickly emerging from where he had been smashing his head into the side of the car door in his sleep. He saw Pikachu sitting on his lap as he opened his eyes, staring amusedly at his trainer's misfortune.

"Good morning." He looked left at the sound again, and that brought him back to reality.

_Ah. Right. Cynthia._

"Morning… I guess." Indeed, the daylight had returned, and its presence was hardly comforting even if he felt a little better from finally getting some shut-eye, given that he felt like there was a rather significant portion of his memory that seemed to be missing… "Uh, how'd we get off the plane?"

Cynthia smirked, which seemed to confirm his worst fears.

"You didn't, uh, drag me off, did you?"

Now she laughed fully out loud.

"No, no." She reassured him after settling down. "You moved under your own power. Don't think you were quite awake, though."

_Ah. So__** that**__ explains the dream about trying to run away from zombie Pokémon but only finding himself able to walk. Huh._

"So long as it wasn't embarrassing…"

"No promises there."

Ash shrugged as her smile returned, assuming - hoping - that she was joking.

He looked around, still a little dazed and groggy from his unexpected return to the waking world. His companion had dropped the jacket she had worn throughout the previous day, returning to only the light blue sleeveless top she had donned since first arriving in Unova.

"Where are we now? And where are we going?" He had literally no idea at this point, given his awakening in completely unfamiliar territory. It was one thing to travel a region on foot, and another entirely to go through it by car.

Cynthia flicked the built-in GPS before responding.

"We're not far from Rustboro City now, that's where we're headed; we touched down in Lilycove City three hours ago."

"Wow, that's a pretty long trip."

"Hoenn's a pretty small region, especially compared to Sinnoh. You clearly needed the sleep, though."

"Yeah, you sure you don't need more too?"

"I'll be fine. I've had my coffee."

He shrugged, not entirely convinced, but accepted it for now… and decided to try a different tack.

"So, feel a little more like telling me about what happened yesterday now?"

"Not… really."

She wasn't looking at him again, concentration etched across her face. Whether or not her gaze was averted solely because of the need to watch the road, or also because she didn't want to look him in the eye… He wasn't entirely sure.

Ash sighed. Talking to Cynthia didn't come as easily as talking to his other friends did. Perhaps it was down to the age gap, or her clear current superiority as a Pokémon trainer, maybe… She almost felt like a mentor, more often than not, far more than an equal.

But whatever the cause, he was never quite sure how hard to press when asking about things that she seemed reluctant to indulge him in.

He'd felt the same when asking her if what Cameron had said was true, back in Undella Town, when to him she had seemed upset. He hadn't felt that it was his place to interfere, there.

Not this time, though, because – indirectly, at least - it very much involved him, this time, and he wanted to be a part of it.

After all, if one of his friends was unhappy, wasn't it his duty to try to help solve the problem?

_That's what friends are for, right?_

_Friends certainly don't just leave friends behind._

Putting that little frustration behind him, he tried again.

"I'm sure you can tell me at least the gist of what went on in there. Maybe if you vent you'll feel a little better?"

"I said-" She started to refuse him again, but he kept the pressure up.

"Come on, Cynthia. It's not like I'll tell anyone else. And I'm sure you'll feel better, I promise."

"Why would you be interested?" She asked, vaguely intrigued. "Boredom aside, at least…"

"Well, you looked pretty upset, and it isn't really good if you just stand by when your friends are unhappy." He suggested. "I want to help, really…"

A brief silence passed between them as they slowed to a stop at the top of a rather steep hill. Looking across the horizon they could see Rustboro City, the skyscrapers easily making it identifiable from afar, particularly the tallest one denoting the Devon Corporations's headquarters.

It was Cynthia's turn to sigh as she shifted gear and sent them off down the hill.

"All right, Ash Ketchum. You win. I'll share." She took a moment longer to decide how to start. "Okay, first off. How much do you actually know about how the individual leagues operate?"

"Not much." He admitted. "I mean, I know each region has a champion, and four trainers who make up the Elite Four, but other than that…"

"Well, all of the leagues technically answer to the _actual_ Pokémon league; that's why Mr. Goodshow comes to all the regional conferences that he can attend." She explained. "But that's of less importance right now. Each regional league has its own staff, and its own board of directors, who work with the champion to make the league actually run; funding the gyms, finding sponsors for the tournaments and important battles, all of that stuff."

"So that's where the problem is?" He already knew the answer.

"You really are pretty quick, Ash." She smiled grimly. "Yes. To put it very bluntly, I've been having a bit of a… disagreement, with the Sinnoh board."

"Why?"

"Putting it as a conflict of interests is probably the fairest way of describing it. They've all got connections to businesses that would stand to gain a lot from having a champion go around helping with some good publicity."

"That seems a little… unusual." He commented. "Isn't being a champion all about Pokémon; finding inner strength, caring for them, and such?"

"Yes, it is." She agreed. "And looking after people, too. Looking after your region, defending ideals. It's all about that. Having champions actually advertise products is banned for a reason, y'know." She took a last, sharp turn with expert skill and they were finally out of the greenery of the Rustboro outskirs and into the city proper. "Not money or fame, and that's a distinction that my board doesn't seem to see."

"I can see how that would be annoying. Don't the other champions have this problem, then?"

"Not really. They don't really have boards that care quite as much about this kind of thing as mine do. And, I suppose, to be fair, they do tend to stick to their regions a little more than I do."

"Huh?"

"I came to Unova for that exhibition match, I followed you and the others to Kanto to see about the stone; just two examples among others. And they really weren't happy with me going to Hoenn so soon. I'll probably end up paying for that pretty hard."

"How?"

"Oh, they'll find a way." She shrugged, seemed almost resigned to her fate.

"Well, it seems to me that you only keep leaving because you have to." He said, trying to reassure her. "You wanted to be sure that the stone wasn't something that could threaten the world. This could be really important, too. And I'm sure that the exhibition match would've been pretty good publicity too."

"You sure about all that?"

"I am. You're a great champion, Cynthia, and you shouldn't listen to them."

She didn't break her poker face any more than allowing a slight smile to slip across her features, but he could tell that she seemed much, much happier now after what he had said.

It became evident to Ash that they had received pre-set instructions for their destination when they parked rather unceremoniously outside a drab-looking building and the GPS promptly shut off. They debarked from the car, stepping out onto the pavement and surveyed their surroundings. There didn't appear to be anything special about this particular block that differentiated it from any other part of the bustling city.

"Thanks, Ash."

"No problem. What are friends for, right?"

Pikachu reinforced his words with an enthusiastic agreement.

They became slightly side-tracked after Cynthia discovered a nearby ice-cream stand, and just had to go ahead and purchase one.

And that was how Ash also came to find himself licking a frozen treat outside a few buildings in Rustboro City. As did Pikachu, too, who took great delight in realising the potential of ketchup-flavoured ice-cream.

It seemed like Cynthia was opening up to him, and he felt better now that he'd been able to cheer her up.

_All in all…_ He decided. _Apart from the jet lag, this has been a pretty good day so far._

* * *

Proceeding inside a little later on, they were directed into an elevator that climbed a respectable number of floors before disgorging them out into a high-rise, window-view office. With an apology, the lift attendant told them that their host would be alerted to their arrival, and would see them shortly.

And shortly really did mean "shortly" this time, as Wallace walked out of the lift not even two minutes later, beaming at their presence.

He hadn't changed at all from when Ash had last seen him at the Wallace Cup in Sinnoh. He still walked with an air of modest grace that betrayed no hint of arrogance, his expression of kind benevolence as unchanging as Cynthia's poker face, Cameron's stoic scowl or Lance's jovial smirk.

The pleasantries were also remarkably swift, though not because any of the involved parties disliked each other, but because all seemed to understand that brevity was what was needed at the present time, at least when it came to such trivial matters. Still, Wallace expressed delighted surprise at Ash and Pikachu's presence, who explained Lance's request while Cynthia gave the Hoenn champion a discreet, troubled look.

With that out of the way, they went on to business, and, specifically, the reason that Wallace had asked them to come to Hoenn in the first place.

"I'm aware that Cameron has informed you of his and Steven's little quest up into the northern mountains, and what they found there." Wallace told them, pulling up a map onto a holographic computer screen built into the office. He pointed up to an area north of Fallarbor Town that Ash did not recognise; his previous journey through the region had not taken him so far up towards Hoenn's geographical zenith.

"That's right, we heard about the base there." Cynthia confirmed.

"Then you haven't heard the more recent news." Wallace continued, now bringing up images that were presumably of the scene. "Steven took a team of league agents back up there after Cameron returned to Unova… And took these pictures of the area."

"I don't see anything." Ash said, confused.

"Exactly."

"They dismantled the base." Cynthia determined quickly.

"Not even a trace of its existence remained, so I'm told." Wallace replied. "They did it in less than three days, and from their first description it was a rather sizeable base too."

"Could it be Team Aqua or Magma again?" Ash pointed out, remembering his last encounter with the crazed groups.

"It's unlikely, but it's a possibility we're looking into." Wallace replied.

"Which is interesting, if not a little unsettling, but none of this explains why you asked us here." Cynthia said, referring to Wallace's previous point and attempting to return to the most important part of the conversation, and Wallace shook his head.

"But it is relevant. After that incident, I had the most trustworthy Hoenn league agents under my command investigate any leads that they could find about potential criminal activity in this region. They uncovered very little, and that gave us great cause for concern; there will always be threats in regions of such size, and it is the duty of the league to handle them." He pulled up a few more files to show them, and then carried on. "But then we received a tip-off from a very reliable source, who promptly disappeared shortly after passing this information to us. We have no idea of their current whereabouts, but it would be wrong for us to not capitalise on what we have learned to our advantage, out of respect, if not for justice.

"What did you learn?" Ash asked. Wallace seemed able to ramble on at a rather astonishing length.

"That there is something hidden in the forests around the north of the city. Something that could be dangerous, or useful or even valuable."

"There seems to be a lot of mystery regarding all this unrest about the regions…" Cynthia mused.

"Too much." Wallace replied gravely, and for a brief moment Cynthia caught a glimpse of a very haunted look in his eyes that she found familiar. She'd seen it in Cameron, before they'd left Unova. She'd seen it in Lance when he had arrived at Oak's lab.

She'd seen it in the mirror.

"But why are we needed?" Ash asked. "Surely you could just flood the area with your league agents?" It was a good point.

"Normally, we would, but we cannot be as discreet as normal. There is a very encompassing media presence around Rustboro City at the present time, as a result of the annual Festival of Summer that is crossing the region, as is customary. I would be here, anywhere, you see." He smiled at Cynthia in particular, who nodded in understanding.

"Sending in the agents now would be too risky, you'd alert the target." She surmised. "You want to find out what it is first, or if it even exists, without worrying the public."

"Shrewd as ever. But you, on the other hand... We've purposefully kept you away from the main streets; your GPS co-ordinates specifically did so."

"We noticed."

"Just the two of you, and Pikachu, of course…" Wallace added, patting the Mouse Pokémon's head, and Pikachu squeaked happily at the recognition. "You could slip into the forest and search more discreetly."

"But what are we looking for?" Ash still wasn't sure.

Wallace smiled widely again, with only a hint of desperation beneath.

"Anything."

* * *

They really hadn't expected to find_ anything_ so fast, if at all.

They had just intended to walk out into the forest and do a quick sweep, and then spend the rest of the daylight they could get on a more thorough search before returning to Wallace. Ash gave Staraptor a chance to stretch its wings, telling it to scout out from the air and to return if it found anything suspicious.

Not even ten minutes after he had sent it off, his Pokémon returned, wings flapping urgently. It swooped over them, circling for a little while, before squawking loudly and leading them, running on the ground below, in the direction it had come.

When they finally caught up, huffing and puffing slightly, Ash returned his flying-type with a word of gratitude, and trainer, champion and electric-type all stared down at the interesting sight of a manhole, covered over not at all carefully by anything but the standard metal cover; entirely out in the open of the clearing that it was situated in.

"A manhole?" Ash scratched his head. "That's not _that_ suspicious." Cynthia looked at him, amused.

"Ash, have you ever seen one of these in a _forest _before?"

"Good point."

"Well, only one way to find out where it goes." They carefully lifted the cover off the top and climbed down into the dark depths below, unsure as to what they might find.

* * *

_Thousands of miles away…_

She wasn't sure what she had found, but it looked big. _Real _big. Possibly the biggest find out of all of the so-called "safe houses" that they had hit and cleaned out so far.

_Or,_ she noted, brushing an obstructing, bushy chunk of brown hair out of her eyes, _it could just be a tunnel. A__** real**__ big tunnel._

Still, it was worth a little further investigation…

_Might keep __**him**__ off my back for a little while, anyway…_

Her Xtransceiver chose that moment to rather inappropriately chime off with the sound of an incoming call; her rather inappropriate ringtone blasted out into the still night air. She hurriedly muted it before glancing around to see that her cover had not been compromised, then, satisfied, picked up the call.

_Or maybe not…_

As she had expected, he wasn't very happy with her prolonged absence.

"Where _are _you?" It impressed her sometimes how he could drag words out so far and yet not sound shrill. "We're only two hours away from the next assault and you haven't reported in."

"I've been a little busy." She knew he'd hate that.

"With what, exactly?"

"Well, dinner for starters. I had to miss it in the afternoon because I went on patrol, and then-"

"Fine, fine." She knew he wouldn't let her babble for too long. "Where are you now, then?"

"I found this weird tunnel."

"A tunnel?"

"It looks big. _Real _big, actually."

"_Real _big, you say?" She could tell he didn't care at all, but chose to play along and ignore the sarcasm.

"Yeah. I thought I'd check it out with Zee. Hope you don't mind."

"It's up to you, not like I can force you anyway." _Damn right you can't._

"Mhm."

"But please, be back for the raid, all right?"

"Maybe." She cut the call. _Yeah, maybe I will, Cameron. If I'm back in time. No promises._

Well, it _was_ time to get moving at any rate.

"Zee?" She called out quietly, and smiled at the responsive growl from just above her.

Her Pokémon was pretty good at blending in, despite what one would think, given his stature. Not to mention the inability to camouflage…

"Time to go. Oh, don't give me that, I'm sure there'll be something at the end of this tunnel. Look, it's_ real_ big, all right? Yes, _real_ big."

Anyone observing would have thought her completely mad to be talking to her Pokémon as if it was talking back to her, but this was no ordinary Pokémon.

She climbed on its back and patted its scales appreciatively as it took off, wings humming slightly with a small crackle of higher-than-average voltage.

Hopefully, there would be something at the end of this tunnel and it wouldn't be just a complete waste of time…

* * *

_Back in Hoenn…_

"This tunnel must be huge!" Ash exclaimed. It was hard to tell, given that their only illumination came from Pikachu generating a small amount of electricity at its cheeks, but from what they could see it seemed that Ash was correct.

There was no end in sight to the underground path, which went down in both directions from where they had entered it. It seemed that the manhole had been an access shaft to the larger construction, and they had no idea how far it went.

It was also wide enough that they could walk easily without obstruction; at least thirty metres in diameter.

They edged forward, bit by bit, with the Mouse Pokémon leading the group so that they could see where they were going. They noticed quickly that there were lights built in above, but they were either not working yet, broken or simply just not turned on.

"I can't believe that no-one noticed this before… But it can't have been recently constructed." Cynthia commented, pointing again at the railway tracks that had been the first things they had noticed upon entering the tunnel. The tracks went on in both directions too; two sets of tracks, likely for transportation each way.

But transportation of what? And for whom?

So many questions…

They had been walking for nearly twenty minutes when Cynthia suggested that they turn back, or look for another access shaft; they could be stuck down there forever otherwise.

"Wait a moment, look at this." Ash pointed ahead at an area of the tunnel were the tracks on one side – their side – seemed to diverge off, but vanish into the wall without a trace. "That's weird, maybe this wall isn't actually here…"

"We can take a look again when we come back with reinforcements; this is enough of a discovery." Cynthia pressed, and Ash reluctantly agreed.

"Just one more minute of walking, first?" He pleaded, and she accepted the bargain.

That "one more minute" ended up proving vital, of course.

"Is that light, up there?" Cynthia was the first to notice, and Ash strained his eyes to see further into the gloom. It was hard to be sure when compared to Pikachu's illumination, but it did seem to be brighter up ahead…

"Can't turn back now."

"Fine…"

They sprinted to the light that increased intensity as they ran, until they finally arrived at a portion of the tunnel, just around a bend, where the lights _were_ on.

Pikachu sighed in relief, stopping its efforts towards producing electricity which had been steadily exhausting it.

Ash opened his mouth to shout something back to Cynthia, but found himself ending that attempted sentence in a strangled cry as the Sinnoh champion placed her hand over his mouth and pulled him to the ground.

"Stay low." She whispered, removing her hand as he looked at her indignantly. "Look there." She carefully pointed over to an unmarked door, and he saw why she had silenced him.

They were not alone in the tunnel.

Across the width of the tracks stood two others dressed in dark garb, speaking care freely and loudly, as though wanting to be heard on the other side of the door.

"Let's give her some food in a couple of hours." One said to the other.

"Yeah, let the kid see what it's like to go hungry. That'll stop her from being a pain." With that, they simply walked off up the tunnel, chuckling at somebody's expense.

Ash, Cynthia and Pikachu waited a little while to ensure that they were actually gone before running over to inspect the door.

"A prisoner?" Ash asked quietly.

"Looks like it. Could be Wallace's source."

"Did you recognise that uniform?"

"No. Let's get this door open… Garchomp, battle dance!"

Her powerhouse exploded onto the scene in a flash of light, but had the sense, from their hushed tones, not to roar loudly for once.

"Break the lock on this door, please." Cynthia whispered. Garchomp complied with a swift Brick Break, and the door resonated slightly as it swung open from the force.

The cell – for that was what it obviously was – was dark, damp and very, very small. There was no light as there was in the tunnel for them to see inside, so Pikachu charged up once again and went in first.

"Pi… ka? Pika! Pika pika pika!"

Something was up judging from the electric-type's excitement, and so Ash followed his starter into the tiny cell to see for himself.

Out of all the people Ash could have imagined that could have possibly been in that cell…

Somehow, he didn't actually expect…

Didn't see coming…

"May?"

* * *

_If the presence of evil were obvious, it wouldn't be nearly as dangerous._

_**- Hidden Horror, Graveborn**_


	15. Gathering

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

First, scheduling. I need to start by saying that, as much as I would like to continue providing twice-weekly updates, I will soon be simply unable to for a number of reasons – primarily the fact that I'm off to university in just over three weeks' time, and that Mists of Pandaria comes out three days after that.

Therefore, I'm going to cease providing regular Sunday updates and will return to what I originally intended; consistent updates on Thursdays, helping to build up a buffer as I write chapters in between. I'm sorry that I have to do this, but I otherwise I'll simply be overwhelmed by the need to update.

Second; reviews. Thanks again, Nauran, for yours; much appreciated, as always. Hopefully this chapter will keep the surprises coming.

To the first and second guest reviews; thanks, and it's good to see that you enjoyed it.

To the last guest review; thank you, I really do appreciate your comments. I hope I can continue to impress you with the rest of the story.

* * *

"May?" Ash gaped down at a friend he had not seen for nearly two years, and had certainly not expected to see in such circumstances as these. The brunette coordinator was sitting in the cell and was clearly extremely uncomfortable with her surroundings. The bench across the back wall barely jutted out from it enough to be actually sat upon, and even with just Ash, May and Pikachu the enclosed space was extremely cramped.

"Ash?" She raised her head and looked up weakly at him. She squinted in an attempt to focus on what him, and did seem to be having trouble seeing even what was directly in front of her.

There was no actual source of illumination inside the cell, as Ash had been able to tell from the outside. May had to have been in complete darkness before their arrival, and she was clearly having trouble adjusting even to the slight glow that Pikachu was generating.

_How long has she been in here like this?_

_**How **__did she even get here?_

"How the-"

"Ash…" She spoke again, this time with far more hopefulness in her eyes as she was finally able to take in the sight of the would-be Pokémon master and the Mouse Pokémon. "I can't believe it… You came to rescue me! I knew you would, I just knew it!"

"Pika?"

"Uh…" If he hadn't been quite so shocked at her very presence he would have been overjoyed at the realisation that _she_ had been expecting _him_, above all others, to come rescue her. Instinctual honesty ended up prevailing over boastfulness, though. "Well, we, uh… We weren't really, um…"

May's face darkened considerably, fashioning into a particular expression that Ash hadn't seen in so long, but one that he instantly remembered to regret creating, even if he was still, at some level, simply happy to see the one who wore it again. _Even_ in these dire, strange circumstances.

It was a spectacular fusion of inner annoyance and outer rage. People who didn't know May quite as well as Ash did would have thought that the world was ending from the way she was glaring crossly at him, an expectation that only would have been furthered by the subsequent harshness of her tone.

"What, you didn't come here to rescue me? Well, why not? That's just rude, Ash!"

He could tell that she was only overreacting on the out loud; he saw through her bluster. Only because he knew her so well, though.

"We didn't, uh, even know you were missing… How on earth did you even get down here, anyway? How long have you been here?"

"Friend of yours, Ash?" Cynthia interrupted before the coordinator could reply. She had joined them in the tiny space, having wondered what was taking Ash so long, but making now it very cramped in the cell.

"Yeah, I travelled with her for a while in Hoenn and Kanto…"

_So few words… So inadequate to properly express two very good years…_

"How she get here?" Cynthia seemed as unfazed as ever by the unusual turn of events.

"She was about to tell me. May?" He looked back at his friend, only to gasp upon realising that she was slumped back against the cell wall, arms loose, head resting on her shoulder, and, by the look of it, completely out cold. "May?!" He cried, taking a step closer. "What's wrong?"

Cynthia bent down and calmly examined the sprawled-out brunette.

"Has she fainted? Is she hurt?" Ash blurted out.

"She's fine." Cynthia replied, straightening up. "In fact, looks like she just… fell asleep, actually."

"Asleep?" Ash blinked, and then smacked his head in frustration. "May! Hey, May, wake up!"

He shook her by the shoulder once, and that seemed to do the trick, because she immediately started awake again.

"Uh-wh-what?" May shook her head and stared at him.

"May, you're not hurt, are you?"

She shook her head, yawning.

"Oh, right, sorry… No, they haven't hurt me or anything like that. I guess I'm a bit tired, I haven't really slept properly since I got in here, and they haven't given me anything to eat, either, so I've got no energy… I keep waking up all the time, too. Honestly, I'd probably be freaking out more if I wasn't just so exhausted…"

Well, that explained how calmly May had seemed to have been accepting her situation so far. Ash had found it reasonably unusual that she hadn't been pounding on the walls

"How long have you been here?" _How long have these people kept you here without giving you any food?_

She was wearing the same clothes as when he had last seen her; orange, sleeveless top, with a green and white bandana and black shorts and gloves. The bandana remained securely on her head, and her hair seemed a little unkempt from her time in the cell; however long it had been.

"What's the date?" She asked. Ash told her, worried even more by the fact that she didn't seem to be able to tell how much time had passed since her confinement. She suppressed a yawn. "Oh, only a day then. I guess it's okay that you weren't looking for me, then… But why are you even back in Hoenn in the first place? I thought that you were in Unova, that was the last I heard… And who's this?" She eyed Cynthia curiously, who put up a hand in greeting.

"I'm Cynthia, champion of Sinnoh. Nice to meet you."

"Never mind the rest now." Ash put those issues aside for later, relieved that May's captivity had only been – and would be – short-lived. He desperately wanted to ask how she had ended up being locked up in the prison located in an underground tunnel in the first place, but decided to postpone such questions until May was in a better state to answer them.

More importantly, they had to get out of this place _first._

A matter which was immediately complicated by the addition of another source of light into the cell.

Right above their heads.

And it wasn't just a normal light bulb.

It blinked in and out with an eerie red light, rapidly drawing their attention as it alternated between lengthening their shadows with its slight luminosity and plunging them back into the gloom that was only broken by Pikachu's constant – but weakening – artificial illumination.

"That doesn't look good." Ash noted.

"Not at all." Cynthia agreed.

"Is that…?"

"An alarm? Probably."

"Great. Just great."

"We need to go, right now. Who knows how many there are?"

"May, how many guards have you seen or heard since- May?!" Ash sighed as he realised that his friend had dozed off once more. "C'mon, May!" He shook her again, and she snapped awake, confused.

"Oops, sorry…"

"Don't worry. We need you to stay awake just for a little while, 'kay?" He squeezed her shoulder again, but in comfort this time, not to wake her.

"Okay…" She looked at him, seeming to draw some strength from his touch, for when she nodded this time he saw the return of a certain determination in her eyes.

"Can you stand?" He asked, and she glared at him petulantly.

"I'm not hurt, Ash, I told you." She growled, making to stand up. "I can walk, don't worry about- Aargh!"

Apparently she _couldn't _back up those words with action, however, because she quickly crumpled to the floor in the process of dismissing his concerns, earning more cries of fearfulness from Ash and his starter.

"Oh… Kay…" She whispered breathlessly as he helped her to her feet and pulled an arm around his shoulder, supporting her weight. "Guess I_ can't_ walk at the moment. Just don't make this kind of thing a habit, all right?"

"No promises." He smirked.

"All right, let's get going." Cynthia huffed impatiently, and made to walk out of the cell. "We've been in here too long already, if we're not careful, we'll get caught as we're- woah!" She had barely passed through the door back out into the tunnel when she reversed course, jumping backwards to avoid an oncoming stream of exhaled fire from both the left, right and directly in front of the exit. Her hurried momentum pushed Ash and May into the back wall of the cell, narrowly missing Pikachu in the process, and earned angry yelps of pain from the two trainers. "Sorry, didn't see that coming."

They were, quite effectively, boxed in.

"Good work, Skuntank! Do that again if they try anything!" They heard a rough, clearly male voice call out, followed by a similar smatter of threats of violence and taunts against them from a series of other voices, some male, some female.

"They're not even demanding a surrender…" May mumbled.

"Looks like the bad guys are back." Ash noted. "Bet we can take them though."

"'Kachu!" From his sudden switch to a combat stance, Pikachu evidently agreed, and even seemed to relish the possibility of a good work-out to eliminate his excess energy for the first time in nearly a week.

"Don't be too sure of that." Cynthia warned, trying to angle her positioning relative to the door in such a way as to peek out of the trap while still being out of the field of fire of their assembled enemies. "I caught a glimpse of at least ten plus people when I nearly got myself killed a second ago; quite a few and it sounded like there could have been more speaking in that din just then."

"But our Pokémon-"

"We can't let them out in here, Ash, there's no room." Cynthia pointed out. "And if we throw the Poké balls out there, who knows what will happen? They could be hurt really bad before they have even the slightest chance of reacting…"

"We can't just do nothing!" May cried.

"Well, what do you suggest?"

"We could- no, wait, that'd never work. Pikachu can't spit acid or fire…"

Pikachu glanced at her, confused by the prospect of him ever being able to perform such feats.

"I-" Ash began, then suddenly realised something that they had missed earlier. "Wait a sec, May, where're your Pokémon?"

He had expected her to panic at their absence, assuming that her captors had removed them from her person, but she shook her head.

"They're fine. I left them at home when I went out shopping… Just before I got captured by those goons."

That was partly a relief, if nothing else… But also a bit annoying. Glaceon would have just about fit into what space they could muster, and helpfully could have destroyed the prison walls to give them a little more room to manoeuvre… and give them a little more towards the factor of surprise in the coming fight.

"Don't you have any Pokémon on you that could be helpful in this situation?" May pressed him in return, causing him to pause for a moment to think.

_Bulbasaur? Hmm..._

_Tauros? Too big._

_Staraptor? The same…_

_Boldore? A __**very**__ tight squeeze…_

_Totodile? He won't be able to break down the walls…_

"Nope." He answered aloud. "Cynthia?"

She considered for a moment before answering.

"Spiritomb _might _fit, but it'll be bouncing around so much that we're going to get very hurt in the process." She concluded. "The others won't, I'm afraid."

"Well, if it's the only chance we've got…" The weight on his shoulder suddenly became heavier, and he looked to his right to find that May was asleep again, snoring quietly as she was beginning to fall into him. "Oww, May, you must really be tired…"

"We certainly don't have much time; they definitely won't let us stay in here forever." Cynthia said, and her words quickly proved prophetic.

The first voice from before called out again, and the content of his pronouncement chilled them to the bone.

"They've had long enough to come out on their own! Enough waiting around!" A pause, and then… "Skuntank, smoke 'em out! Use Smokescreen right into that cell!"

* * *

They heard the large, stocky Pokémon shuffle its way across the tunnel floor towards the meagre sanctuary that they currently inhabited. They heard the snickers of their unknown foes, who seemed to be debating just how their quarry would react to the torment that they would soon experience.

Cynthia nervously produced Spiritomb's Poké ball and held it carefully in one hand, preparing to throw it just before the Skuntank had a chance to complete its vile work and catch it by surprise. It was a risk, but it was the_ only_ thing that they could do now.

May would be of no assistance whatsoever; perhaps even a hindrance in her current condition, given Ash's complete reluctance to leave her side. He would have a chance to unleash his Pokémon if Spiritomb could create an opening, but that was a pretty big "if"… And who knew what else their foes might have to bring to bear against that?

But this course of action was_ all_ that they could do.

The shuffling stopped. Cynthia tensed, and was about to yell out instructions as she hefted the ball, preparing to toss it out of the door.

What happened next was unexpected for almost everyone involved – indeed, nearly as surprising as discovering May in the dingy cell had been for Ash barely ten minutes before.

A shouted command, entirely unlike all the others that had preceded it that day. A deafening, thunderous roar.

An explosion of light and sound.

Ash, Cynthia and Pikachu shielded their eyes from the glare that briefly penetrated even the depths of the cell, before receding again. May was forced awake by the ear-shattering cacophony, and joined them, dazed, in protecting her vision.

"What-"

"the-"

"Pika?"

"Huh?"

And then the screaming started.

Their foes weren't running in pain, mind. They were running in _fear._

More light, albeit not as stunning as the first had been, lit up the tunnel and, to a lesser extent, the cell along with it. This time, the surprise factor slightly diminished, they were able to recognise the colour of the light as assuredly being in the_ blue_ area of the spectrum.

More explosive sound joined in with a symphony continued by the panicked cries of their dark-garbed foes, as well as a strange electrical crackling. It occurred to Ash that he had always seen such things before, ever so often – whenever Pikachu brought its electrical attacks to bear, in fact – but never on such a large scale.

A large shape appeared in front of the entrance to the cell, and the brilliance briefly became so great that Ash and Cynthia turned away again, lest they risk being struck blind by the terrifying light – though in reality they had nothing of the sort to fear. The shape passed, and the radiance diminished.

Another roar. Sounds of fleeing footsteps joined the oral announcements of terror, and something else…

_Laughter?_

Ash and Cynthia exchanged bewildered glances, and the prospective Pokémon master had no answer for Pikachu's inquisitive gaze.

May had fallen asleep again, and leaned on Ash more than ever.

The voice that had just been laughing was now shouting, and they were able to make it out as distinctly feminine, but it was nowhere near as harsh as the tones that had been bandied about by the goons that had entrapped the trio and Pikachu mere minutes before. The substance of what was actually being said was lost over the persistent crackle.

A final roar seemingly answered the previous pronouncement, and there was a sudden rush of air, as if whatever it was had just taken off and departed down the tunnel.

Silence finally rang throughout the area, a clear contrast to the cacophony that had come before it.

"What… What just happened?" Ash looked to Cynthia for answers, but she shook her head and raised a hand for quiet.

One set of footsteps could now clearly be heard making their way across the tunnel towards them.

"I think…" Cynthia muttered as she motioned for Ash and Pikachu to follow, the former still holding on to May. "I think _we've_ just been rescued."

They cautiously made their way out of the door, Ash carefully turning sideways to allow May to pass through. The coordinator was still in the land of dreams.

The sight before them simultaneously amazed them and chilled them far more than they had been in the last, tense moments that they had been trapped in the cell.

The entire section of the tunnel that the cell had been situated at had been wrecked.

Devastated.

Dismantled.

It looked almost like an accident, that a train or something had crashed near the area and sent chunks of metal and stone flying scattered across the impact zone.

But there was no train. And a train crash wouldn't explain the bent, melted, rails and deep gouges in the floor and surrounding walls.

Deep gouges that, on closer inspection, appeared to be _claw _marks.

There were also a few boxes, crates of supplies and the like, that had been tossed around by whatever had rampaged through the place. It seemed that their foes had erected makeshift barricades upon laying siege to the cell, not at all anticipating that a threat might emerge from the tunnel itself…

Whatever had caused all the damage was nowhere to be seen, and nor were their mysterious assailants, who appeared to have fled up the tunnel in the direction that Ash, Cynthia and Pikachu had arrived from. No sign had been left of their presence, not one injured person, Pokémon or even a piece of damaged clothing had been left behind.

Their enemy had clearly been careful even in retreat, hasty as said action might have been.

Several of the overhead lights had been ripped from the ceiling, and others had clearly been caught in the rampage; only a few still worked, causing the area to be even gloomier than before. Pikachu, too was unable to continue generating illumination for the group, and ceased immediately after exiting the cell, plonking itself down next to Ash as he and Cynthia stood and surveyed the carnage.

"Howdy."

Well, there was _one _person still left with them in the tunnel.

That person was apparently their rescuer.

They stared at the figure for nearly twenty seconds, simply unable to think of anything to say as they took in the sight of the girl now standing in front of them. She wore a jacket over a white t-shirt that defied the inky darkness of the tunnel, accompanying a pair of denim shorts about the same length as May's – albeit of a different material. Judging by the way that the light treated it the same, her hair was also a similar shade of brown to May's, but worn in a very different style; curly in places, but also very pronounced. Crowning her head was a hat that seemed remarkably similar to Ash's.

"Well?" The girl demanded angrily, placing her hands on her hips. "No "thank you"? No gratitude? Nothing at all? Damn…" She sighed, shaking her head. "This hero business really isn't all it's cracked up to be…"

"We- you- I-" Ash stammered, unable to form a proper sentence, still completely bewildered.

"We, uh, well… Thank you." Cynthia recovered first, though her eyes returned to their surroundings rather than rest on the now-grinning girl. "You have our sincere gratitude; we were in a pretty bad situation there. What's your name?"

"Hilda. Let's talk later and get out of here _now_."

_Well, at least she can focus on the important issues._

"Might be a little difficult to get out, though." Ash finally found his composure and gestured to May. "She probably won't be waking up any time soon."

Hilda shrugged.

"No worries, sunshine. I'll have Zee fly her out if necessary."

_Sunshine?_

"Fly out where? And who's Zee?"

"Fine, I'll have Zee make a hole in the ceiling first. And Zee's my Pokémon."

"Oh."

"Was that the same Pokémon that did all this damage? Alone?" Cynthia asked cautiously.

"Yep." Hilda was now smirking. The Sinnoh champion wolf-whistled, impressed despite herself.

"That's some Pokémon." Ash commended.

"Uh huh. Just gotta wait until Zee gets back, then we'll get out of here, and I'm sure you can get your friend to the hospital-"

"She's not hurt, just tired."

"-Or whatever. Pokémon centre, then. Closest is probably in Nimbasa City, I guess, given where I entered the tunnel-"

"Wait, what?"

The newcomer blinked.

"I said that the closest centre is probably in Nimbasa City." Ash and Cynthia stared blankly at her once again. "What?"

"But Nimbasa City's in Unova!" Ash growled, assuming that they were being made the butt of some joke.

"Yes, duh. That's where we are now, of course." Hilda snapped back.

"We're in Hoenn." Cynthia informed her.

"Can't be." Hilda dismissed that possibility quite quickly. I entered this tunnel in Unova, nearly twenty minutes ago."

"And _we_ entered this tunnel in Hoenn, just outside of Rustboro City, just over twenty minutes ago!" Ash told her.

"That's ridiculous. Even Zee can't fly that fast. Your time under fire must've rattled your brains a little."

Ash bit back an angry retort as Cynthia put a soothing hand on his free shoulder.

"We'll find out who's right when we get above ground. Something weird is going on, though."

Both sides thought that _they _were right, of course.

Hilda shrugged in response as a loud trudging began to resonate through the tunnel, coming from the direction that the grunts had fled in before.

"Ah, here we go. How'd it go, Zee?"

The shadows dispersed around the Pokémon as it moved slowly back into the light, but its dark colouration barely made the difference noticeable, particularly as the blue power lines that ran across it were few shades away from black themselves.

Only its massive size, distinctive shape and piercing red eyes marked it out against the darkness.

Cynthia gaped at the draconic titan before them, leaving Ash to state the obvious as Hilda rushed forward to greet her ally.

"_You…_ You're_ Zekrom's_ trainer?"

* * *

Their rescuer kept up a running conversation with the Deep Black Pokémon, who, in stark contrast to its earlier behaviour, remained utterly silent, occasionally blinking as it gazed down upon its trainer.

Ash took the time to move closer to Cynthia and have a quick-fire discussion.

"So this is the Unova champion?" He whispered.

"How many other trainers can you think of that can command Zekrom? Or any other legendary Pokémon, for that matter?" She challenged, and he couldn't answer that.

"So how did she get here, then? Maybe she was telling the truth about coming from near Nimbasa City before…"

"If that's the case, are we in Unova? Or did she get transported to Hoenn?"

"Guess we can only wait and see, then…"

"Ready to go?" Hilda interrupted them, but they were still a little distracted by the presence of the dragon/electric dual-type behind her to pay proper attention to what she said. "Oh, don't worry about him. He's harmless." She chuckled, and Zekrom emitted an annoyed grunt in response. "Well, you couldn't catch any of those Plasma agents could you? What do you mean, that was my fault? Well, you're the giant dragon, after all… Hey, take that back!"

"They were agents of Team Plasma?" Cynthia asked, intrigued.

"Why are you talking as if Zekrom's talking back to you?" Ash asked blithely, then suddenly realised his mistake, given his previous encounters with the Pokémon in question. "Oh, duh…"

"Telepathy." Hilda finished for him sweetly. "Come on, Zee, might as well include them in the fun. He's a little shy to strangers, you see." She added conspiratorially.

**+Very well.+**

"Woah." Ash and Cynthia tilted their heads at the strange feeling of hearing a deep voice suddenly speak directly to them, while Hilda beamed at them. May did not stir; evidently the legendary was not projecting into her. "Haven't felt that in a while."

"I'm not entirely sure that I'm comfortable with anyone reading my thoughts." Cynthia said carefully.

**+Fear not. I am merely skimming the surface of your minds in order to communicate with you all. I cannot go any further than that.+**

"All right…"

Apparently satisfied and that all was in order, the legendary looked down at Hilda again.

**+It is time to leave, Hilda, for there is much to discuss, and they are right; we **_**are**_** in Hoenn, now.+**

"What?" Hilda cried. "That's impossible!"

"Let's just get out of here, talk later, you said it yourself!" Ash pointed out.

"Fine. Zee, open up a whole in the ceiling, will you?"

**+No.+**

"What do you mean, "no"?"

**+If I did so, you would be crushed by the falling dirt and rubble.+**

"Oh."

**+I detected an access shaft just around the bend of the tunnel back the way that we came. It should lead to the surface, if you can climb it. I will need to be returned to my Poké ball, of course.+**

"Ok, let's go!" Hilda declared, and started walking off down the tunnel.

"Wait, what about May?" Ash cried, pointing out the fact that the coordinator could barely stay conscious for long.

"We'll have to wake her. Come on. No other way out." Cynthia said, moving to follow her fellow champion. Ash looked down at Pikachu, then at May, before joining them, with Zekrom bringing up the rear.

* * *

_That,_ Ash mentally decided as he sipped from the cup of coffee in his hands, _Must have been the most confusing hour of my life._

He was sitting across from May at her bedside, nearly an hour after they had finally left the tunnel.

It had been extremely confusing to climb out of the manhole and realise that it was still daytime, and that only just over forty minutes had passed before they had entered the tunnel to begin with, and from when the world had seemed to turn upside down.

Their new friend had returned Zekrom to its Poké ball, the two other conscious trainers fascinated at the sight of the giant, proud dragon returning so willingly to confinement. Waking May up had been a struggle to start with, though Totodile had aided the process a little – at the same time as likely buying Ash some resentment from the brunette for using Water Gun to do so. Dripping wet, May had been second to climb the access tunnel, with Hilda taking point, Ash following May with Pikachu riding on his shoulder, and Cynthia bringing up the rear.

They had been blinded by the sunlight as they had first come out. As soon as that disorientation had worn off, May had quickly fallen asleep again on the lush grass outside the manhole.

_And then,_ Ash recalled grimly,_ and then it got __**weirder.**_

"Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!" Hilda had cried as the blessed warmth of the sun had shined down upon them, and she had taken a good look – no longer obscured by shadows - at the people that she had saved. The words that she repeated increased in pitch, volume and rapidity each time she said them.

Ash and Cynthia had heard such tones before, Cilan and Iris being the most guilty of such performances in the past.

The cry of the overexcited fanatic.

"I can't believe it's you!" Hilda squealed in admiration, balling her fists up and jumping up and down on the spot, her attitude now completely different from the snarky arrogance she had displayed back in the depths of the tunnel. "I can't believe I saved _you_!"

The sudden change in character reminded Ash of Trip, back in Unova when he had encountered Alder.

Cynthia had been about to reply with her trademark _Oh, yes, I'm the Sinnoh champion, it's an honour to meet you _– having assumed that Hilda's attention was directed at her.

It wasn't.

Hilda pointed at Ash.

"I saved Ash Ketchum!"

"Pika?"

"Me?" That surprised almost everyone. Cynthia forgot to close her mouth _again._

"I can't believe I didn't recognise you before! Stupid darkness!" She muttered, annoyed at herself, before beaming at him. "You're my hero, Ash Ketchum!"

"I-uh-what-what?!"

"I've got pictures of you hung on my walls back home, I've recorded all of your conference battles and watched them a hundred times! I'm your biggest fan!"

This was far worse than Iris, Trip or even _Cilan._

"Gyah-huh-huh?!"

Much of the short time that the group spent together walking around was consumed by Hilda fawning over Ash and Pikachu.

The worst part was that they weren't _official_ posters that Hilda had stuck on her wall, apparently. The Unovan champion had made them herself. By screen-capturing images and printing them out, enlarged.

Such dedication impressed and yet also frightened Ash, who had never considered before that he might actually have a _fanbase._

_That's going to take some getting used to…_ Ash thought, then returned his attention – and thoughts – to May.

They had fortunately emerged from the tunnel just outside of Petalburg City, as a sign helpfully pointed out as soon as they reached the edge of its limits; a sign which also caused Hilda to swear loudly, and finally admit that she had somehow ended up in Hoenn.

Ash easily remembered the route to the gym – and by extension May's home – and had directed the newly-founded group all the way there.

May's parents had been searching since she had disappeared for any sign of her. Caroline had appeared close to tears when she had answered the door, and Norman wore an angry expression that only dissipated when he saw his daughter, replaced by a look of desperate concern at the fact that she was unconscious. They were overjoyed at her safe return – and even more so that it was Ash that brought her home, even if they were a little confused at his presence in Hoenn, and the company he kept, though the gym leader certainly recognised the Sinnoh champion, at least, and was glad to meet the champion of Unova too.

They were confused at Ash's presence, of course, because their daughter had informed them several times over the past two weeks alone that he was in Unova, and thus she would not see him for a long time – something that she had expressed deep sadness at.

They had woken May up again to reunite her with her parents, who had managed to persuade May to eat something before she fell asleep again. She consumed a bowl and a half of noodles, an apple, an orange and two chocolate bars before declaring that she needed to sleep a lot more, and begged her parents to allow her to, which they accepted quickly; simply glad, if nothing else, to see their daughter alive and mostly well.

That was how May had climbed into bed upstairs and fallen asleep, this time not to be disturbed.

Cynthia had suggested that they travel to the Pokémon centre, but Ash had resolved to stay with the coordinator. Hilda had subsequently wanted to stay, too, but Cynthia had suggested that they work on unravelling the mystery of how she had managed to end up in Hoenn at all, and thus she had finally acquiesced, glancing with a slight hint of envy at the prone form of her fellow brunette as she departed the house. Cynthia had offered to take Pikachu to the centre, given his exhaustion, and Ash had gratefully thanked her for that.

The Mouse Pokémon understood entirely why his trainer was remaining behind.

Ash ended up staying in May's room for a full hour, eventually venturing out when the others returned from the centre, coinciding with lunch, which Caroline was happy to provide.

He did nothing for that hour but take in the sight of May snoozing peacefully in her own bed, and vowed silently during that time that he wouldn't let_ anyone_ harm her again.

_I promise…_

* * *

"Ash Ketchum!" Hilda exclaimed loudly for the third time in five minutes, startling passers-by. "I never thought I'd even meet him, but rescue him? _Get out of here!"_

Cynthia was beginning to regret making her come along.

They had received instructions from Caroline as to the location of the Pokémon centre, and had made their way there at an expedient pace.

Once there, Cynthia had handed Pikachu and Garchomp over to Nurse Joy, and dragged Hilda – who had been transfixed by the sight of the rare (by Unovan standards) Chansey – over to the phones designated for use by trainers.

"Do you have a contact in Unova?"

"Of course!" Hilda fished out a little address book from her jacket. "Got it written down right here." She keyed a number into the phone's pad, and the two waited as it sought to establish a connection all the way out to Unova.

The number had seemed very familiar to Cynthia, and she soon discovered why.

"Well, well." The voice was even more familiar. "Look at who finally decided to call."

"Sorry, sorry!" Hilda appeased weakly; her bravado apparently eclipsed by the obvious realisation that she should have called far sooner.

"You said it would be quick!"

"It was! I've only been gone an hour!"

"And we finished the raid in half that time!"

"So it went fine without me, then?"

"… Yes. Luckily for you." Cameron sighed and put a hand to his brow. "All right, all right. Where are you?"

Cynthia managed to angle herself so that she could see him but he could not see her across the video chat link, and smirked at his appearance.

_Still got that same scowl, huh…_

"Uh…"

"Hmm?"

"Hoenn."

"What? The call must be messing up... I could've sworn that you just said Hoenn, but that's not possible. Say again, where are you?"

"… Hoenn."

Silence. Then…

"All right, nice joke, champion. Where are you?"

"I told you. I'm in Hoenn."

"Come on, now-"

"She's not joking." Cynthia decided to butt in and help her new acquaintance. Her smirk grew wider as she saw Cameron spit out what he had been drinking at the time as he caught sight of her on his screen. "Hey, Cameron."

The former champion stared silently at them for a good ten seconds before speaking again.

"All right, all right. Hilda?" He began. "How the hell did you end up in Hoenn?"

"We, uh, haven't quite figured that out yet. I think that Zee had some idea, though…"

"Which was?"

"Didn't say. I'll ask now." She lazily tossed the ball to her left and unleashed the legendary.

The effect on the surrounding centre was immediate. People scattered left and right as the Deep Black Pokémon regarded them. A lone, brave Nurse Joy came up to remonstrate with them, found herself blocked by Cynthia, and was eventually "convinced" by a telepathic message from the Pokémon itself ensuring that it would cause no trouble.

"Okay, Zee, so how did we end up in Hoenn?" Hilda asked.

**+The only explanation I can offer is this; I believe that we passed through some sort of gateway; some form of trans-regional travel that whisked us away from Unova to this region. The tunnel, therefore, was a connection between Unova and Hoenn for Team Plasma to use for whatever purposes they desired.+**

"That seems implausible." Cynthia commented sceptically.

**+Many Pokémon can teleport, champion, and some humans have the ability to do so as well.+** Zekrom countered**. +It would hardly be beyond the reach of technology to do so as well.+**

"Still leaves the question of what Plasma wants with Hoenn, though… We thought that they were confining their operations to Unova." Hilda noted.

**+A worrying development, indeed.+**

"Uh, guys?" Cameron scowled at them. "I can't hear what Zekrom's saying telepathically over the phone, you know. Mind filling me in?"

The two champions shared a laugh and proceeded to do just that.

In the end, Hilda decided to stay in Hoenn, and asked Cynthia if she would allow her to join them wherever they proceeded to go. Cynthia was tempted to say that it could be dangerous, and then remembered the presence of a certain legendary Pokémon behind her, and though better of it.

Cameron was vaguely annoyed at the fact that his region's champion would be absent from future action against Plasma, but ultimately gave his blessing for the her to do what she pleased; he could hardly stop her, after all. After a few more pleasantries and after Cameron had ample opportunity to sigh over Hilda's ravings about Ash, the call was cut.

Cynthia then placed a quick call to Wallace on the line that they had pre-arranged, informing him of the latest developments, the surprises that they had and such, and arranged a subsequent meeting the next day to fill him in completely. Wallace expressed excitement at meeting the new champion of Unova in the flesh, and they cut that call too.

Cynthia retrieved Pikachu and Garchomp while Hilda returned Zekrom, and both left the centre in the direction of May's house.

As they did so, a good number of the people who had fled before returned to the centre, expressing relief at the absence of the intimidating legendary that had been there moments before.

* * *

They all ate at the gym that night, with the visitors treated as guests of honour.

Ash and Cynthia had been reluctant at first; not wanting to make life difficult for May's family, but her parents waved away their objections, and insisted on offering their hospitality.

Encouraged by Hilda, they had accepted.

Caroline's cooking was as good as Ash had remembered, and he certainly understood why May had found it so difficult at first to adapt to eating a little less regularly when they had travelled through Hoenn together.

May was absent from the dinner, still sleeping, though her mother had several different types of food prepared and ready in case she would wake up at any time.

During the course of their meal, they discussed recent events in Hoenn, exactly what had happened in the tunnel, including the improbability of Hilda's arrival in the region.

Ash also discovered that Max had recently begun his journey across the region, starting with a Ralts, and had expressed his best wishes to be passed on to May's brother at the next available opportunity.

Finally, Cynthia told Ash about the calls that they had made, recounting amusedly Cameron's surprise, before informing him about the meeting with Wallace that was planned for the next day.

Ash accepted this news somewhat sadly. It was inevitable that they would have to leave, but he had hoped to stay for a little longer…

_Stay with May for a little longer._

He had forgotten how good it was to see old friends again, and would miss this one terribly upon their departure the following morning.

To his great – and continued – surprise, and happiness, that was not what happened the following morning.

* * *

They prepared to leave at nine o'clock, standing outside the gym, bags and equipment all set and ready.

"Look, Ash!" Hilda excitedly produced a small book out of her bag and began to flick through it. "Here are all your best moments; I printed them all out myself!"

Ash was more than a little disturbed by the behaviour of his new friend and still not entirely sure what to think of her.

He trusted her, certainly, simply because she had saved them from Team Plasma, and he certainly respected her for her role as a champion and simply because she could command Zekrom. That much said volumes about whatever kind of inner strength and character she possessed.

But as for her outward attitude and personality? She was hard to read, at times snarky and self-confident, and sometimes acting as she was now; overexcited, jumpy, agitated. It was especially confusing to watch her switch between the two as she talked to different people.

_Maybe I just need to get to know her better…_

Caroline and Norman came out to say their goodbyes, thanking the trio again for their help in saving May, as unexpected for everyone as it had been.

"Is May up?" Ash asked. "I was hoping to see her again before we set off…"

"I think she's still sleeping, dear, sorry." Caroline sighed. "But we'll tell her that you said goodbye, don't worry."

"Thanks."

With nothing else to say but goodbye, they set up off the road. Hilda did a little dance as they walked, proclaiming that it was because she would be travelling with Ash, while Pikachu looked on bemused and Ash and Cynthia shared a knowing glance of shared feeling.

_What have we got ourselves into?_

And that was when Ash was surprised _one_ more time.

Pikachu saw her coming long before she reached them, but a finger to her lips silenced the yellow rodent, as it did for Cynthia, who also happened to look back, and suppressed a smirk as she approached.

Ash suddenly found that the weight on his head had disappeared; he felt for his hat, and then gasped upon realising that it had disappeared. He turned around fully past Cynthia, missing her grin, and found nothing but the empty road.

"What the-" That was as far as he got before he turned back around and started at the sight of his friend. "May!"

"The one and only!" She smiled warmly at him, and quickly ran in to hug him as his look of surprise turned into one of pure joy. He reciprocated the gesture and they stood that way for thirty seconds or so, before breaking the hug, and May returned Ash's hat at the time, too.

Cynthia smiled at the spectacle. Hilda didn't.

"I thought you were still-"

"Asleep? Nah." She finished for him. "I just told mom to tell you that, wanted to surprise you. I want to come along with you to wherever you're going."

"You sure you're okay?"

"I had enough sleep last night, if that's what you mean and enough food this morning. I'm refreshed and ready to go. I should be fine now, and I filled my bag with lots of chocolate just in case." She grinned, and then repeated her question. "So, can I come?"

Ash briefly recalled what Misty had said before, back in Pallet Town, about not leaving friends behind, and then smiled.

"Sure!" He said, utterly genuine in his subsequent honesty. "We'd love to have you!"

They exchanged one last smile before setting off up the road as a four again.

Cynthia walked at the far right of the group, and had the opportunity to observe the other three carefully.

She noticed Ash facing dead ahead as he walked, maybe turning his head slightly to talk to Pikachu as he did so.

She noticed May to her immediate left sneak a glance at Ash every now and then.

She noticed Hilda to the far left keep her attention strictly to Ash.

She noticed the Hilda and May glaring at each other whenever they happened to lock eyes.

_Oh. Oh… This really will be an interesting trip…_

* * *

_In the memories of those lost lies the strength needed to defend their city._

_**- Gather the Townsfolk, Dark Ascension **_


	16. Metanoia

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Since I might be jumping back and forth between the two groups at various intervals, I'm going to start being a bit clearer about which characters are in focus at the time; generally at the start of each chapter, sometimes at other points as is necessary.

In addition, given the circumstances regarding timing in this chapter – you'll see what I mean very shortly – I'm going to start, as of next chapter, to be clear about when each chapter takes place on the "timeline" of events in this story in comparison to the other chapters. I'll probably also go back and do the same for the last few chapters, at some point, as this will only be important when considering the two split arcs of Ash/Cynthia/Hilda/May and Brock/Cilan/Dawn/Iris. As you'll soon see, there will be some jumping here and there; one chapter passing for one group does not at all mean that the same amount of time has passed for the other.

Second, on to reviews. Thanks again Nauran, I'm definitely going to have fun playing them off against each other.

To the guest reviewers, thanks for the compliments, though to the second I have to say that it's probably fairly unlikely that that would ever happen to the anime. Plus there's the whole load of issues to consider about creators reading and being influenced by fan fiction and such, and whether it would be universally liked, etc, given how tastes differ. Probably best to let the anime carry on being the cash-cow, oft-infuriating, sometimes heart-warming and all-round entertaining piece of television that it is.

Now, a PokéSpe anime adaptation on the other hand… _That _I'd want to see.

To the other guest reviews, thank you, I hope that I can keep the quality up. As for Ash and Zekrom, well, I thought that the episodes wherein Zekrom has been mentioned were sufficient mention of their first encounter and so chose not to expand on it past a brief recognition in chapter three; after all, they didn't exactly meet each other in BW:01. I might go into further detail in later chapters, however.

* * *

_**Brock, Cilan, Dawn and Iris.**_

_The afternoon of the fifth day since leaving Viridian City._

_This is not the best way… Not how I expected spending a vacation…_

"Dragonite, destroy the wall with Flamethrower!"

"Mamoswine, you too! Break the wall open with Ice Fang!"

For all their strength and fury, the two Pokémon were unable to penetrate the sides of the enclosing space that the group was solidly trapped in. Whatever metal it was made of, the cage was more than more than resilient enough to withstand their attacks.

Of course, "cage" would generally imply that their prison actually possessed bars, that there would be some way of seeing out of it. All that they had in this particular example of well-designed containment was a small hole at the top for air; it was more like a _box_ that anything else.

"Shut up in there!" The hole was also large enough to allow for clarity of sound – voices - passing into the box from the outside. The voice was familiar – they had heard it only seconds before – but it was now twisted in a mix of hatred and triumph. "You'll be let out right after we've taken your Pokémon!"

The four trainers responded, of course, by making even more noise; partly in defiance, but partly in hope, too.

After all, so many encounters in the past with three Team Rocket members in particular had taught them that the more you force your enemy to get angry or even adapt their plans, the more likely they are to make a mistake.

A mistake that can often be quite simple to capitalise on.

Unfortunately, the foes that they now faced had_ also_ learned from past mistakes, and would not be drawn in by such juvenile taunting. They efficiently prepared the required machinery for transporting the box and its contents, quickly operating it with the same haste to move their prize into a waiting truck.

"We're being moved." Brock realised as they all felt the box rise briefly into the air as it was lifted, then lowered as though it went down an entire level, then come to a stop as it entered the truck.

"And now we're being driven someplace." Cilan posited as they heard the roar of an engine from the outside and felt their confinement begin to shake ever so slightly.

That suspicion was confirmed moments later by a solitary ray of sunlight that poked bravely into the otherwise-dark box; still not enough to illuminate their captivity, however.

Perhaps that was for the best, though. It meant that they were unable to see the looks of defeat uniformly plastered across each of their faces.

The light also reminded them of just how beautiful the day was outside, and how nice it had seemed as they had woken that morning.

Dawn and Iris sadly recalled Mamoswine and Dragonite, recognising a futile endeavour when they saw one.

Dawn sank to the floor of the box, hugging Piplup – panicking as he so often did – tightly. Iris moved her hand to comfort Axew, but realised that her first dragon-type had slept through the whole situation so far, and was glad for it.

Dragonite and Mamoswine were the strongest Pokémon that the four could really bring to bear, and their failure to cut a path out of the prison did not bode well for future attempts. Even so, they tried other Pokémon in a few further short-lived attempts to escape, but Crustle's subsequent efforts to melt the wall with its corrosive spray were quickly showed the futility of such action.

Having their smaller Pokémon combine their attacks might work, but they quickly decided not to attempt it unless they were in even direr straits.

Dragonite and Mamoswine had only managed to fit into the box with them because the four had pushed themselves up as far as they could against the back wall of the container.

If they tried to put too many of their smaller Pokémon up against the wall – and they would need a good number of them to make the plan work in the first place – there would be an ever-increasing risk of the attacks backfiring and hurting either the Pokémon or the trainers themselves in the process.

Iris had assumed, given that so much time had passed without incident, that Ash was something of a magnet for trouble, or at least for unusual situations. It was a conclusion that had been brewing since he had left with Cynthia to travel to Sinnoh and then Hoenn, and she had believed it confirmed by the complete normality of their vacation so far.

Now, though, it seemed that her assumptions had been far too premature.

* * *

In total, five days had passed since they had left Viridian City, and thus six had gone by since Ash had followed a different path alongside Cynthia. They hadn't attempted to contact either of them for that time, as they had no idea where the two might be by now, and as far as they knew, neither had a Poké-gear or Xtransceiver available for a call on the move anyway.

Brock was normally the one to bring up their absent friend in group discussions, sometimes regaling the others with more tales of their adventures; Iris was particularly interested to hear details about Johto's dragon-type gym leader, Claire, and the shrine around which said gym was based, the Dragon's Den.

Interestingly, Dawn seemed to be the least talkative whenever the topic of conversation ever came anywhere near Ash, and practically clammed up if asked a question about him, to the other's complete confusion; once only replying with a hasty "No need to w-worry!".

Only Piplup truly knew what was wrong with Dawn – either that or he was entirely oblivious, more so than anyone had thought before – and if it was the former, then he seemed not to think of it as a matter of particularly great concern. Of her Pokémon, Togekiss showed the greatest sympathy, hugging the blue-haired trainer every time it was called out of its Poké ball for lunch and refusing to leave her side until it was recalled, even if she showed no signs of the occasional melancholic attitude that swept over her at the repeated return of Ash's name.

Still, noticing her reticence, Brock strived to keep his reminiscing to the first two regions that he had travelled through, and she looked happier for that appreciation.

The first two days of their trip after leaving Viridian City were predominantly spent navigating the densely-packed woodland of the Viridian Forest; camping out under the stars on the first night, and making it out of the forest and into Pewter City midway through the second day.

As the only Kanto native in the group at the time, Brock had been the only one capable of finding the attitudes of the others hilarious; specifically, their amazement towards such "rare Pokémon" as Caterpie, Weedle and Pidgey. Still, no Poké balls were thrown that day; primarily because, to their shared embarrassment, the four realised that they had forgotten to restock on the important item for a very long time, and had no way of actually capturing any Pokémon at the time.

Brock recalled that Ash and Misty had claimed that it had taken them nearly a week to make it from one side of the forest to the other and reach Pewter City; which was confusing in comparison to the amount of time that the four took to cross it until they realised several things about the duo's first excursion through its boundaries.

First, Ash and Misty had no navigator or guide at the time, Brock having joined them in Pewter City shortly after, and as such probably ended up getting lost multiple times.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, the area that made up the forest had seen some important developments in the six years that had gone by since the very beginning of Ash's quest to be a Pokémon master.

That said, the bulk of said developments had taken place barely two years prior to the present day, and had resulted from Lance's efforts to modernise the region. Such intentions had resulted in a clearly-marked path through the forest, which easily reduced the amount of time spent path finding, particularly under the artificial darkness that occurred whenever the canopy became particularly thick.

To call it a path would perhaps be an understatement, however; in most places it was practically a fully-fledged road, with obvious stretches of pavement also sporadically appearing here and there through the forest. They had been passed several times by vehicles; cars and trucks, the former most likely commuting, the latter most likely delivering. One in the latter category had even stopped to offer them a lift to their destination, but, thanking the driver anyway, they had turned said kindness down with a smile.

After all, they agreed, who wouldn't have wanted to walk on a beautiful day like that?

They had spent the afternoon of the second day exploring Pewter City, having arrived around midday. Cilan, Dawn and Iris were introduced to Brock's family, spent some time at the City's laboratory – primarily at Cilan's urging, given his desire to see some examples of fossils - and even had the chance to view a gym battle too, watching a haughty, experienced trainer lose handily to Brock's brother, Forrest, who pulled out all the stops and used his Rhyperior after realising the extent of the man's arrogance.

They hadn't stopped for the night, however, recognising how crowded the house was already with Brock's parents and nine siblings.

The Pokémon centre had also been full up that night by the time they arrived there, having eaten at the gym and then waved goodbye, so instead they had camped just outside the city for the night in the silhouette of Mount Moon.

The third day was spent crossing Mount Moon. They decided to walk over the mountain as opposed to the underground route that Brock had led Ash and Misty through during their first journey through Kanto. The mountain path was far-less travelled, given how comparatively challenging it was to take.

Before they had ever travelled alongside Ash and seen what they had seen, Cilan and Dawn at least might have had some trouble with the narrow paths and higher altitudes that characterised the mountain.

Not now, though. Dawn had braved Mount Coronet in the company of her friends, and with a short break for lunch around midday, this was child's play in comparison. As for Cilan, he had done a fair amount of hiking around Iccirus City, and again very recently around Unova's route fifteen.

They had arrived just outside the boundaries of Mount Moon as the sun went down on the third day, and set up camp there, in the shadow of the other side of the moon.

Getting up early on the fourth day allowed them to make it into Cerulean City before ten o'clock to meet Misty, who had been delighted to see them again. She had no gym battles booked – or even assumed – for that day, and so, leaving a conspicuous note on the door of her gym, she popped out with them to share lunch and show them around the city.

This time there hadn't been much need for catching up, as they had seen each other so recently anyway, and after grabbing a bite to eat the reunited five trainers went shopping, wherein Cilan and Dawn spent a lot on various items, Brock purchased little and Iris bought nothing, declaring that she would be saving her "hard-earned" cash for something special.

At one point in their two-hour shopping spree, Misty had dragged Dawn off, Piplup trailing behind them as the youngest of the Sensational Sisters giggled and pointed excitedly at something apparently around a nearby mall corner, and the two were gone for some time.

Brock and Cilan had thought nothing of it at first, but had their interest slightly piqued when the two had come back, Dawn smiling even more broadly than she had done for several days, and hadn't reacted negatively at all when Iris had mouthed off about Ash the second that they departed the mall.

They had then returned to the gym, where Misty offered them the chance to use the gym battlefield for normal or contest battles; however as they saw fit, and so the rest of the day, apart from dinner, was mainly spent undertaking said activities. Dawn won the majority of the contest battles, a few of which even _Iris_ was somehow roped in to, while conversely the dragon-tamer won the majority of her actual battles, with the coordinator winning the least, and the others falling somewhere in the middle.

Winning and losing wasn't what really mattered, though; they had been having fun, and that was what was important.

They had slept at the Pokémon Centre that night, and waved to Misty in the morning of the fifth day as they headed south towards Saffron City.

It had been, overall, a predominantly happy time for the holidaying trainers; _exactly _what a vacation should be like.

It was utterly surprising and unwelcome, therefore, for any spectres of their past – or at least Brock's, given the current composition of the group - to come back to haunt them at this time, but two particular shades ended up doing just that.

* * *

_Midday on the fifth day since leaving Viridian City…_

"I think that this has been the most beautiful morning yet!" Dawn declared, and the others hardly saw fit to disagree.

"The weather's just been brilliant since we left Viridian City." Cilan noted as he and Brock began to hand out lunch for the day and then moved on to prepare food for the Pokémon. "Not a rainy day in sight!"

He was right, and what was most impressive about the circumstances was that the official forecaster app that Cilan had downloaded for his tablet had so far been wrong about the weather conditions each day.

Thrice it had predicted rain, and thrice it had been proven wrong. The day after they had left Viridian City there had been no suspicions of rain, merely of large clouds to obstruct the sun, but even then the clear skies had prevailed throughout the day.

Iris, after the third day of mispredictions, had angrily demanded that Cilan stop referring to that "piece of junk" given how wrong it had been, and her ire – and the others' amusement – had only increased as it proved itself to be even more incompetent.

Cilan had laughed off her annoyance, pointing out that the forecasters hardly claimed to be able to see the future, though he too was slightly intrigued after the fourth day.

He hadn't even looked at it on the morning of the fifth day, but no-one even expected it to be accurate this time.

"So, what're we doing in Saffron City today?" Dawn asked as they began to eat. Cilan shrugged and flicked open a checklist on his tablet.

He'd been using it over the past few days to record and tick off the things that they had wanted to do or accomplish while on holiday; basic things like _see the laboratory in Pewter City,_ or _visit Misty._

Even if they didn't have an overall direction or focus to their vacation, it was still helpful to keep some level of organisation to the whole set of proceedings and provide a basic framework for the journey.

Iris had teased him, as she always did, for fussing over the details instead of enjoying things as they came, but even she saw the value of keeping track of what they wanted to do, and was grateful to him for taking on that responsibility himself; even if she didn't show it.

"There's an exhibition at Silph Co. that Brock and I would like to see." He answered Dawn's question at last as he reminded himself of what he had written there the night before, absently offering his Jigglypuff of the poffins that he had crafted from Dawn's special recipe during their stay in Cerulean City; using Misty's kitchen, as she had been quick to point out. "Dawn wants to check the shops and Iris wants to go to the fighting dojo."

"It'll be awesome!" Iris shouted, doing a wide variety of completely imaginary and probably ineffective karate moves that Axew proceeded to imitate and which also caused the other trainers to back slowly away from her, fearful for their safety and wellbeing.

"And then it's off to Johto on the Magnet Train!" The others could easily tell that this would be the highlight of the journey for the former Striaton City gym leader, and Dawn and Iris quickly moved to head off any attempts of his to proceed into any part of his metro connoisseur routine.

"Well, better head off to Silph Co.!"

"Yeah, gotta see that exhibition before it all goes away?"

"But they don't stop showing it until next week…" Cilan grumbled as they dragged him off towards the centre of the city, Brock chuckling as he followed in their wake.

The exhibition turned out to be about technology through the ages; well, technology produced by Silph Co. and its subsidiaries or affiliates, at least. It ended up being predominantly comprised of examples of Poké balls - understandable, perhaps, given that they were the company's best-known product – from the earliest designs carved simply out of apricorns to the latest models, from the standard ubiquitous type that everybody knew to the more auxiliary aides to Pokémon trainers; Lure balls, Net balls and the like.

There were a few other sections to the exhibition which Brock and Cilan were eager to examine and which Dawn and Iris dutifully followed them through. Everyday objects such as phones, televisions, etc. generally had one of their Kanto-based designs crafted by Silph Co. and duly released every year or so to a loyal customer base.

Finally, a few esoteric items languished at the back of the hall, looked over sceptically by the majority of visitors, which, ironically, turned out to be the ones that Dawn and Iris were most interested in, and that Brock and Cilan found funniest, including the patented Silph Scope, advertised as _the only way to reveal spooky spectres and ghastly ghouls!_ – at a staggering amount of Poké dollars per purchase.

They left after an hour and a half of wandering around the auditorium of the Silph Co. building, Dawn having finally convinced the connoisseur and prospective doctor that they had seen all that there was to see in the exhibition at that time.

Shopping had never sounded so good to Iris.

They spent an hour and fifteen minutes perusing the sales that Saffron City had to offer before concluding that there was little to see there that they had not already viewed in Celadon City the week before. Even so, Dawn was able to purchase a new outfit for when she would eventually travel to Johto to compete in the contest circuit there; Brock and Cilan restocked on their dwindling supply of Pokémon food, given the need to feed seventeen Pokémon, after all, and all four finally remembered to obtain more Poké balls, so it was hardly a wasted trip.

At the end of all that merriment, the four trainers set off for the fighting dojo for Iris' location of choice for the day.

Had they made it there, they might have been able to avoid the trouble that they soon found themselves in.

"Hey, guys?" They were walking down one of the least crowded streets in the city at the time when Dawn stopped and pointed across the road, and the others paused to follow her gaze. "Isn't that the guy from the tag battle tournament that we entered last week?"

"Yeah, that's the announcer!"

The man in question happened to notice their scrutiny, not that it was hard.

He smiled as he hurried over to them, but his true glee was only shown on the inside. _They've taken the bait._

"Well, now, if I'm not mistaken, you two young ladies entered our little Tag Battle Tournament last week in Celadon City! A pleasure to see you again!" He beamed at them.

""Little?" It was awesome!" Iris declared.

"Thank you! Ah, and if I'm correct, you won it, too!"

"Yeah, my partner and I did win!"

"I do have a good memory. So what brings you to Saffron City?"

"Oh, not much, we're just having a look around here and there."

"Well, if you're not doing anything specific, do you fancy participating in one of our little tournaments? We've got one set up in that building over there, no parks to use in this city unfortunately." He added a hint of persuasive pleading to his tone as he continued. "We're a little under-attended, to say the truth… It would mean a lot to us if you could help out."

They paused to think over his suggestion briefly, and for a moment the announcer was worried that he had overdone it a little.

"Iris?" Cilan asked. "You all right with doing it? We might not be able to see the dojo today if it goes on too long."

Iris simply shrugged.

"Meh. A chance to battle and maybe win a few prizes? I'm there!" She replied, indicating without question that she would be happy to participate if the others were.

Cilan turned to Dawn, who nodded, then to Brock, who waved a hand in affirmation towards the building that the announcer had pointed to just moments before.

"All right, looks like you've got yourself a deal."

"Wonderful!" _Big mistake, kids._ The announcer thought as they walked back across the road towards the building where the "tournament" would be "taking place".

"Looks pretty small for a tournament to be taking place in there." Brock commented as he peered through the door.

"Oh, that's just the ground floor, go through there-" Their host pointed inside. "You'll see a flight of stairs. Head up them, through the door that they lead to and you'll be in the battle hall. I'll join you in just a moment."

"All right." The trainers filed past, but none caught the avaricious stare with which the announcer proceeded to give Axew and Piplup as they were carried through by their unsuspecting trainers.

Up the stairs and through the door, they quickly emerged into a darkened room, which certainly did seem big enough for actual battling – from what they could make out in the darkness, at least.

"Why're the lights off?"

"Y'know, I don't like this." Brock was suddenly suspicious. "Wasn't there supposed to be someone up her already waiting for us?"

"Oh, come on." Iris countered. "It's just a dark room. I'm sure they'll turn the lights on in a second. I mean, what could they have to gain from-"

_CLICK_

_WHOOSH_

_SNAP_

The first sound was the noise that the mechanism briefly made as it was activated, quickly putting their devious plot into play as they noticed that all four trainers had moved to stand together in the centre of the room.

The second sound was produced by the sides of the box, rising quickly through the air.

The third sound was made as said sides came together, neatly trapping them in the box, capped off by the roof of the enclosure falling from the ceiling of the room to land on top.

* * *

_Five minutes later…_

"We've followed them for five days and that was all it took?" Cassidy scoffed as she drove the truck. "Pur-lease. We should've done it days ago."

"The boss wanted more intel first." Butch countered. "That was why we waited. Plus, that annoying announcer guy was busy out in Fuschia City until yesterday, and we needed him to make it convincing…"

"No, we didn't. Jessie, James and their annoying Meowth might have needed his help, but we could've fooled 'em with any old disguise."

"Better to be safe than sorry, Cassidy. The boss isn't exactly happy right now, and he won't be until everything's taken care of. He needs every single piece of the plan to work perfectly, and this-"

"-Goes a very long way towards making the plan work." She finished for him. "I know. I was there when he briefed us, remember?"

"Sometimes hard to tell…"

She bit back an angry retort. Both were aware that they were still rather stressed having spent five days very carefully trailing the four twerps, and both were aware how crucial this mission was – removing one of the biggest stumbling blocks to Team Rocket's success as it was, after all. They sat in silence for a while as she drove.

"How far away from the city should we go?" He asked, changing tack as they left the limits of the city and headed north-west into the forests.

"I'll drive for five more minutes. Is Shuckle ready?"

"It is. Never really used Sludge Bomb like this before, but it should do the job well enough…"

"That's the plan, then. We go in and take their Pokémon, then make off with them before they wake up."

"Yep."

Cassidy drummed her fingers across the dashboard, while Butch absently removed one of his gloves and began to chew on his nails.

It sounded so simple. And everything had gone to plan so far.

But then why were they so worried?

* * *

"Team Rocket, I'd guess. Who else?"

"Could just be normal criminals."

"Maybe…"

"Does this mean that there's no tag battle tournament?"

"Iris, there probably never was. It was a trap."

"Oh."

"Well, whoever did this, I'll bet that the announcer won't be happy with them misrepresenting his organisation like this!"

"Cilan…"

"What?"

"… Never mind."

They chattered nervously back and forth as they were driven by their captors. The issue of escape hung over their heads, but even as they wracked their brains for answers it was still hard to put into words the feeling of desperation that they all shared.

Desperation tinged with annoyance at themselves for falling for such an obvious trap.

_If we'd have just gone on to the dojo…_

_If we'd have just kept walking…_

_If I'd just seen it coming…_

"Enough, guys!" Dawn shouted, cutting through the silence like a knife through hot butter, and the others looked up at her in surprise. "We can't just give up! We need to figure out a way to get out of here, and fast!"

And suddenly, unexplainably, those words were enough to galvanise them back into action.

"All right, all right. Let's start at the beginning." Brock fell back into strategist mode. "What do they want?"

"Our Pokémon. They said it themselves."

"Could be Team Rocket, then –"

"That wasn't Jessie, James or Meowth, though-" Dawn pointed out.

"-but it doesn't matter. Now, I'm sure that they're sure that they can take them from us, but they also know that we're not just going to let them do it. Right?"

"Right!"

"Piiplup!"

"'xew!"

"So they must have some way of incapacitating us so that they can take our Pokémon… But what could it be?"

They returned to silence once again, hastily thinking through different scenarios, attempting to deduce their opponents' next moves.

The eureka moment ended up being Cilan's once again, just when it was most important. It arrived as he looked up to stare at the lonely ray of sunshine poking through the hole at the top of the truck…

_The hole!_

"Guys, guys!" He gasped hurriedly. "What if that hole isn't just for air? What if they're going to send something down it to knock us out?"

"Like what?" Iris pondered, puzzled. "It's a pretty small hole."

"Some kind of Pokémon's attacks, maybe?"

"An electric-type attack, or a poison-type move would be the most logical choices."

"If it is Team Rocket, then my money's on the poison-type move." Brock declared.

"Wouldn't surprise me." Dawn agreed.

"Let's assume that's what they're going to do then, let's focus on that. What are we going to do we do about it?"

"We could send an attack right back at them? If they clash and they're powerful enough, it might do just enough damage to open us up a way out." Iris suggested.

"We could, but what kind of moves can we use? They can't be too powerful, otherwise it could just end up backfiring…"

They sought the answer quickly as they felt the truck come to a stop and the voices became prevalent once more.

As it turned out, Iris had her brainwave just in time.

All of their well-laid plans. All of their preparation, their dreams of success.

All ruined, crushed in just a few short seconds.

They had planned to have Butch's Shuckle launch an extraordinarily strong Sludge Bomb down into the box through the small hole in the top. It would knock their captives out, whereupon they would simply open the container, take their Pokémon and flee, the mission complete.

They placed Shuckle on top of the truck before moving back to observe.

"Shuckle, now!" Butch gave the command, and his Mold Pokémon gathered poison at the edge of its mouth, preparing to spit into the gap as had been planned.

That part went fine, as did the spitting.

As for the explosion, well… _Something _exploded.

It just didn't have the same result that the Team Rocket duo had hoped for.

With an eardrum-shattering boom, the Sludge Bomb collided with a carefully timed, precise Dragon Rage from Axew in the box below. Shuckle was knocked down next to the stunned duo, clearly knocked out.

"Piplup, Whirlpool!"

Dawn's starter gathered its strength and hurled a blast of water at the roof of the box. Weakened by the prior explosion, and not particularly the strongest part of the prison anyway – the roof was ripped apart by the conjured maelstrom, and the four trainers and two active Pokémon quickly climbed out and leapt for freedom, landing opposite to Butch and Cassidy, who still couldn't quite believe what had happened.

Unlike the Team Rocket Trio, however, the duo happened to be _professionals_. And being professional meant recovering fast from any surprise upset to your plans… and to always have a plan B, too.

"Cassidy and Biff?" Brock asked, the only one of the group to recognise them.

"It's Butch! Oh, why do I even bother…?"

"So you guys _are_ Team Rocket members!"

"Spare us the motto!" Dawn shouted, cutting Cassidy off from whatever she was about to say next.

"Fine." She said instead. "No mottos, not today. We'll just settle for taking your Pokémon the good old fashioned way, instead! Go, Sableye and Raticate!"

"Go, Mightyena and Primeape!" Butch roared, chucking the Pokémon balls as he also recalled Shuckle.

"Doesn't look like you want a fair fight, then, huh?" Iris pulled out three of the containers, and the others did the same. "Go, Dragonite, Excadrill and-"

"Not so fast!" Plan B wasn't just battling for their goal, of course. No, it was _far_ sneakier than that. The duo produced net launchers with practiced speed and fired them with excellent aim at the soaring objects, enveloping them just before they could burst open, then reeling them back in to a single large net.

"No!"

"Didn't we fall for this a week ago?" Cilan sighed as he realised that, once again, they had overstretched and attempted to send out all of their Pokémon. And it had once again gone wrong.

"You thieves! Give them back!"

"What gave you the first clue?" Cassidy taunted. "If you want them back, you'll have to battle for them…" She directed her gaze at Axew and Piplup.

"We won't lose to you! Ready, Piplup?"

"Piip!"

"You too, Axew!"

The two smaller Pokémon leapt down to face their much larger adversaries.

They were outnumbered and outsized all round, but they would give their all to save their friends just the same.

Team Rocket wasn't going to give them that chance.

Giving them a chance would open a hole for the failure of their plan. They'd learnt that lesson personally, back in the Orange Islands, and had seen countless mission reports that the trio had filed of losses simply because they had underestimated their opponents.

That wouldn't happen today.

Today, they would make sport of them – and for a while, that was exactly what happened.

Mightyena and Primeape tossed Piplup around, giving it hardly the slightest chance to break away and gain the range he needed to effectively use his BubbleBeam or Hydro Pump attacks.

Axew fared a little better, but Sableye and Raticate went no easier on it, and it was soon solely focused on defending itself rather than counterattacking.

The trainers shouted encouragement to their last hopes, but their desperation only fuelled their opponents' desire for victory.

What finally turned the tide, however, was a combination of resolve, bad luck on the part of the duo, and to some extent, simply over-attacking it by their Pokémon.

One exceptionally vicious swipe sent Piplup flying with a pitifully shrill scream to land next to Dawn, who helped her starter up, now extremely worried. What neither of them noticed was the tiny object that rolled away from the Penguin Pokémon as it hit the floor.

"Axew, hang in there!" Iris cried as it adeptly blocked an attack with its claws, though the force of the strike forced it back towards its trainer nonetheless.

"Surely you're ready to give up, now?" Butch taunted as he hefted the sack of Poké balls over his shoulder.

"We won't quit!" Iris angrily retorted. "Axew, use Dragon Rage, go!"

"Piplup, Hydro Pump!"

The attacks came with such alacrity and ferocity that the recipients had no chance to dodge. Raticate and Primeape were sent sprawling by the attacks, but quickly returned to their feet after a glare from their trainers.

"Is that all you've got?" Cassidy looked down on the pair of short, brave Pokémon that stood defiantly in their way.

They answered her snarky attitude with their own cries of anger… Cries that were both quickly joined by a brilliant white glow.

"Axew, yes!" Iris screamed in shocked delight.

"Piplup, no!" Dawn _and _Brock screamed in horror.

"It's evolution time!" Cilan shouted.

* * *

The light subsided as it became clear that the features of both Pokémon had drastically changed. Both had gained height and size from the evolution, changing subtly in colouration and proportion in places.

Fraxure greeted its evolution with absolute joy. It examined itself happily, then arrayed itself in a combat stance against its foes, clearly having received its second wind.

Prinplup stared at itself, wide-eyed, briefly unable to comprehend the changes that had been wrought across it by its own biological necessity. It seemed closer to tears with every passing second as it crumpled straight down to the ground.

Cilan was perplexed at Prinplup's behaviour, but Brock and Dawn shared a knowing look.

Iris was too busy fawning over her evolved favourite to notice.

"This… This could really be a problem." Butch whispered to Cassidy, and for the first time since starting the battle, the duo were actually worried.

"All right, Fraxure, let's see what you can do! Get in there with Outrage!"

"Stop it, all of you!"

Fraxure's newfound massive strength was barely held back by the combined might of all four of its adversaries; indeed, it seemed eager to get back in the fray straight away after jumping back to avoid the counterattack, having gained a little speed too.

The end of the battle did not come from Fraxure, however; it came, rather anticlimactically, from Prinplup.

With a plaintive screech, the evolved Penguin Pokémon raged at its unwanted evolution, tears dropping down from its cheeks in its anguish. Eyes shut tight, it summoned a massive Whirlpool, far larger than before, and hurled it at the grouped-up enemies. Caught in its grasp, neither the Pokemon nor their trainers could do anything as they were quickly pulled in, tossed about, then sent flying by the furious water.

The sack of Poké balls fell from Butch's grasp at the last moment, tumbling down to earth to be carefully caught by Brock, waiting underneath.

Not at all comforted by its success, Prinplup fell back to the ground, water streaming from its eyes, as Dawn rushed in to catch it in a comforting hug.

* * *

They returned to Saffron City after that, eschewing a visit to the dojo and postponing their ride on the Magnet Train to Johto until the following day.

One of the biggest – and most understandable – of the problems that they found that night was the completely opposite attitudes that Dawn and Iris took towards the evolutions of their favoured Pokémon.

Iris' – and Fraxure's - pure glee contrasted rather unfortunately with the despair that Dawn and Prinplup clearly shared – though Dawn was unhappy more so because she knew exactly how terrible her water-type was feeling about the surprise evolution rather than because she was actually unhappy that he had evolved.

"I still don't understand…" She muttered weakly, sipping from a mug of hot chocolate in the centre. "His Everstone…"

"I'm sorry, Dawn." Brock produced the well-travelled stone from his pocket. "I found it just before we left the scene. I think it must have been knocked clear when he was attacked by Mightyena…"

Dawn took the stone without another word, pocketing it and thanking Brock for his concern, before returning to her bawling starter to comfort him for however long he needed.

She realised that Prinplup hadn't stopped crying since he had evolved, and wondered how long it would take for him to return to being the happy, energetic Pokemon that she knew.

Brock moved back, understanding that they needed some time together, walking over to Cilan, who had had the situation explained to him beforehand, and now shared in the melancholic mood.

Only Iris' spirits couldn't be dampened.

"Think he'll be all right?" Cilan asked.

"Hope so." Brock said sadly, then stiffened. "Look…"

"What?" Cilan turned towards the window, where Brock's gaze was locked. "Oh…"

It had finally started to rain.

* * *

"_Let their mindless armies come and face the might of true genius."_

_- Varil, Neurok Partisan; __**Turn the Tide, Mirrodin Besieged**_

Just one last quick note, not that I intend to make a habit of adding things on after each chapter, but I feel it's necessary in this case.

I know that I've been under-using Piplup and Axew since I started writing the story, and I decided to write in their evolutions, apart from being beneficial to the plot, but also to try to rectify this and give them some attention – with admittedly little buildup, though Piplup is constantly ready to evolve in the anime anyway, the process being held only at bay by the Everstone he holds… And what if that was taken away? As for Axew, well, it must be getting close too.

Hopefully said evolutions don't seem too forced, but please say if they do, as I'll know for the future not to attempt stuff like this. I intend to continue writing about the impact of the evolutions – and what it means for them – when the story next returns to Brock, Cilan, Dawn and Iris.


	17. Plot

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

First, reviews.

Thank you for all of yours, J.F.C.! Hopefully I'll be able to continue as I have so far to inspire your comments. I didn't actually put Primeape into chapter nine, but rest assured that at least one of the two you mentioned will feature in the story later on. I won't say which one will play a prominent role just yet, though.

Thanks for catching the bit about Bayleef; it skipped my mind that I'd made the change to Ash's roster somehow, but I've edited the paragraph in chapter fifteen accordingly to put Bulbasaur in.

As for Jessie and James, I thought I'd give them a bit of a break from following Ash around partly for the reason that you offered, using the end of chapter eight to see them (and Meloetta) off – but I also thought that it would be good to add a little variety in the use of Team Rocket agents, given how little the anime seems to change things up. Team Rocket definitely has an important part to play in the rest of this story, so watch this space for more, I guess.

Again, thanks for all of your helpful comments and praise, I really do appreciate them all.

Second, for the purposes of the "timeline" I mentioned last time… This chapter (seventeen) takes place the same day as the end of chapter fifteen – effectively continuing on with the group's departure from Petalburg City. It therefore takes place in the second morning since Ash and Cynthia left Kanto for the other regions (at the end of chapter twelve), and coincides with the first proper day of the Kanto group's vacation – thus chronologically occurring four days before chapter sixteen.

* * *

_**(Ash, Cynthia, Hilda and May)**_

Ash was at first perplexed when Cynthia had directed the group eastwards through and out of Petalburg City. He had expected that that they would be returning to Rustboro City for their meeting with Wallace, which would require passing through the appropriate route and Petalburg Woods to get back to it. Instead, they left the city in the other direction, walking at a brisk pace to reach Oldale Town.

The Hoenn league apparently had a headquarters there, and so, given its comparative proximity to their previous location, it had been decided that their meeting should take place in the small checkpoint town.

Said revelation did at least make it clear to Ash how they would make it in time to see Wallace in less than one day of travel; the journey over the eastbound route could be completed in several hours, whereas heading towards Rustboro City had, as Ash recalled, taken several days on their first trek through the region.

Route one-oh-two – as everyone except for Hilda pronounced it, who drawled out the full "route one hundred and two" every time she said it – was unchanged from Ash's fleeting memory of its path.

The surrounding trees and shrubbery were clearly beginning to overgrow in the summer heat, and so he let out Bulbasaur to enjoy the fresh air. It trudged alongside them happily, vines swaying to-and-fro in the breeze as it held an extended conversation with Pikachu throughout the walk.

Bulbasaur's presence also sparked off another bout of excited behaviour from Hilda, and she recounted out loud what she knew of its performances in the Indigo and Johto leagues, snatching the opportunity to pick the Seed Pokémon up at one point and hug it, to its complete and utter bemusement.

May was tempted to reunite Bulbasaur with her Venasaur, but then she remembered just how much size her Pokémon had gained upon evolving, and thought better of the idea when she considered the narrowness of the open path through the trees.

They were halfway through the route when Ash finally realised that May had changed into a different outfit from the one that she had worn since visiting them in Sinnoh, an observation that she greeted with equal measures of delight and amusement.

She had opted for a blue and white variation on the clothes that she had donned throughout Hoenn and Kanto, once again wearing short sleeves and a bandana with one knot to the side.

Ash said that it suited her, noting that it matched the colour of her eyes. May blushed at the compliment, while Hilda glared daggers at her from behind.

All told, it only took the group two hours to reach Oldale Town. Cynthia led them to the Pokémon centre, and then directed them down a side street towards a shabby-looking building that, from outward appearance alone, seemed indistinguishable from any of its fellows.

"This is a Pokémon league building?" Ash looked dubiously at where Cynthia was pointing as she confidently walked towards it.

"They vary quite a lot." Cynthia replied. "You'd be surprised how many structures you've probably gone past that are actually owned by a regional league, when they just look like ordinary houses, shops or the like." She pushed the door open and beckoned them inside, then paused a moment to linger at the door, switching her gaze across the entirety of her field of vision before nodding to herself, satisfied that they were not being followed. "After you."

Despite how little they had been able to see of the interior from the outside, given the blinds that protected the few windows that adorned the walls, they were still caught by surprise at how bright it was in the reception area that they walked into. Ash in particular was caught unawares; given his similar experience of a league building in Sinnoh, he had expected to find similarly dimly-lit halls, and the brightly illuminated space jarred uncomfortably with his expectations.

* * *

In retrospect, it would have been wiser to have Cynthia enter first, as the trio were immediately accosted by the two security guards sitting at the desk inside, who were clearly eager for the distraction that their sudden arrival promised. Or any distraction at all, in fact.

"Halt! This is a Pokémon league operated building!" The first growled as he marched towards them.

"Access is restricted, and members of the public are not permitted on these premises." The other put in.

Evidently, neither recognised Hilda as Unova's champion; nor did they recognise Ash and May, not that it would have helped matters in this case.

"Hey, I'm the cha-" Hilda began, but her indignation was cut off by Cynthia's reappearance, chiefly heralded by the sound of her carefully closing the door behind her as she strode into the reception. The guards immediately snapped to attention, eyes facing straight forward.

"Champion Cynthia!"

"As you were; they're with me." She adopted the commanding tone that came so naturally to her once more. The guards stood at ease for a moment before backing away from the trio, seeming almost disappointed by the turn of events.

"Of course. We received advanced word of your arrival, ma'am."

"Is Wallace here yet?"

"Yes ma'am. He's waiting down the hall, in the first room on the right." The guard indicated through the doorway that he and his compatriot had the task of guarding.

"Thank you, that will be all."

"Yes ma'am." The guards resumed their posts. Cynthia walked up to the trio and motioned for them to wait.

"I haven't been very clear about the details of this meeting. For that, I apologise."

"Isn't it just us telling Wallace what happened?" Ash asked, his confusion emulated by both Hilda and May.

"Not just Wallace." Cynthia replied. "This is going to be more important than I've let on. From what he told me yesterday, Wallace has contacted as many champions and ex-champions as he has been able to overnight, and they will be in attendance via a communications satellite uplink."

"Hey, wait, I was standing right next to you when you were talking to Wallace yesterday, but I didn't know that." Hilda realised. "How'd he tell you without me hearing? Do you guys have some sort of secret code, or-"

"You were arguing with Zekrom at the time." Cynthia explained, now grinning.

"… Oh. Right."

The Sinnoh champion sighed, and then turned to regard May.

"May, I'm very sorry, but protocol dictates that those who have never held the rank of champion in any league are to be withheld permission to enter an official meeting of champions without an official vote taking place in said meeting first, and so-"

_Oh boy._ Ash winced. _This isn't going to be pretty._

"You what?" May screeched, causing Hilda to jump back in shock. "You want me to wait outside?!"

_Thought so._

Any lesser person might have withered under May's inevitable outrage, but the blonde champion was undaunted, and held her ground resolutely. Hilda recovered and simply shrugged at the other brunette's behaviour, walking through the doorway and into the hall ahead of them, apparently unconcerned that May could be forced to wait.

"Just for a little while." She adopted a soothing tone in an effort to placate the coordinator. "It won't be for long, I promise, and you won't exactly be alone either." She indicated the two security guards, one of whom had apparently fallen asleep by this point; the other was listening to their conversation unashamedly, but averted his gaze after accidentally catching May's eye and being subjected to a death glare.

"Well, this is just-"

"Wait, wait, hang on." Ash cut in, thinking that everyone was missing a rather obvious implication of Cynthia's "protocol". "You're forgetting about me, guys. I'm not a champion, so I can't go in without permission either. You won't be alone, May."

"Oh, right. Well, maybe it won't be so bad, then." May brightened up a little, but Cynthia shook her head.

"Ex-champions can enter freely too, Ash." She told him.

"How does that change anything? I've never been a champion."

Cynthia looked at him, bemused.

"Well, you defeated the Orange league champion, didn't you?"

"Well, yes, but… Wait, wait, wait, what?!" He stammered, having never thought about it like that before.

"Pika. Pika. Piiiii…" Pikachu looked at his trainer, dumbfounded and wearing an expression that screamed "_even I knew that_!".

"I didn't think… Nobody ever told me… I thought it was just like a conference… Uh…"

"Congratulations, Ash. You were a champion and you didn't even know it." She smirked as Ash stood there, gobsmacked, a million different thoughts and questions running through his head.

May's aggravation at the situation seemed to be returning, but her rage ended up being stymied by an interruption from one of the guards.

"Oh, ma'am, Wallace asked us to give you this when you arrived." He passed Cynthia a folded sheet of paper before returning to his desk.

Cynthia opened it, scanned it quickly, and then lightly smacked the palm of her hand against her forehead.

"Never mind what I said earlier, May. Looks like we're not adhering to protocol today."

"Huh?"

"Let's go." She moved behind the two trainers and began pushing them towards the inviting doorway. "This would've been helpful to know earlier." She muttered as they passed the guard, who lazily waved at them, uncaring. "Or he could've told me yesterday…"

Hilda was tapping her foot impatiently in the hall by the time that the others caught up with her, but she had at least waited for them before proceeding. Then they found out why…

"Which, uh, door was it, guys?" The Unovan champion blushed.

"First on the right." Cynthia said solidly, and walked past her to push the door open. The others needed no beckoning to follow her.

If any of the three who were clearly unfamiliar with league buildings – Ash, Hilda and May - had expected some kind of fancy, dramatic room for the meeting, they were left sorely disappointed. It was a surprisingly long room, which accounted for how far the building stretched out sideways, but was entirely plain apart from a few doors leading out into what were probably closets and a large conference table that took up the majority of said length, leaving little in the way of available space.

It was well-lit, continuing the trend set by the rest of the interior, and the small windows were, once again, shielded by thick, concealing blinds. Wallace sat at the end of the table and waved a hand in greeting as they entered. He was flanked by two others; one flanked in ruby red, the other in sapphire blue.

"Oh, I see." Cynthia spotted the surprise first, but the others quickly noticed the unusual nature of those who sat next to Wallace – and Ash, May and Pikachu swiftly recognised them, too.

"Chu pika!" Ash had tighten his hold on the Mouse Pokémon as he attempted to jump clear of his trainer's arms and edge closer towards the two figures, clearly not happy at their presence.

_So that's why he abandoned protocol…_

"Ah, everyone, thank you for coming! You're right on time." The Hoenn champion's smile was deep and genuine as he rose, acknowledging their presence more directly this time.

"Archie and Maxie?" May blurted.

* * *

"May! Darling, it's wonderful to see you again. It's been too long since we met in Sinnoh." Wallace greeted her warmly, and the coordinator nodded mutely, stunned at the sight of the two former criminals in the room before her. "Ash, excellent to see you again too." Like May, Ash's eyes were fixed on to the scowling visages leaders of Team Aqua and Magma. "Cynthia, always a pleasure… And you must be Hilda!"

"Yeah, nice to meet you." Unlike the others, Hilda had neither personal experiences nor second hand stories to colour her opinion of the two strangers on the other side of the room, and so was undaunted by them – and rather more occupied with meeting and greeting her Hoenn-based equal.

"Take a picture, kid, it'll last longer." Archie grunted at Ash, his arms folded across his barrel-like chest. Their expressions now matched Pikachu as they glared at each other. Maxie met May's stare impassively.

Neither had changed much in the four years – four years? So much time went by so fast… - since the coordinator, the prospective Pokémon master and his starter had seen them. The former's hair was slightly shorter, while the latter had more lines of age etched across his face.

Both still radiated _something_ at their core, though.

For Archie, it was a sort of primal strength, threatening to break composure at any moment.

For Maxie, it was a kind of haughty superiority.

Even so, these attitudes seemed diminished from the level that they had been at in the past, when the two had been at the prime of their conflict. Now, they seemed to be able to tolerate each other, and even Archie's ire towards the newcomers was half-hearted.

Wallace caught on to the tension immediately, and rapidly made an effort to dispel it.

"This is Archie, and this is Maxie." He explained to Hilda, who had turned to look at Ash, Cynthia and May, confused at their hesitancy towards them. "They are-"

"The leaders of Team Aqua and Magma, respectively." Maxie finished for him.

"Criminal organisations-" Ash started.

"_Former_ criminal organisations, and even then I know a lot of people who'd debate that with you for days, kid…" Archie grumbled testily, muttering the last part under his breath.

"We now operate our organisations as environmental agencies, working together with the league and each other to look after the well-being of the region." His Magma counterpart added unprompted.

"Which is exactly why they're here. They're reformed, now. We're all friends here." Wallace injected a tone of command, of persuasion, similar to the one that Cynthia had used before. Slowly, Ash and May nodded, while Cynthia's feelings were unreadable beyond her poker face, which Wallace accepted as the best he would get. Smiling, he continued on. "Please, take your seats… We have much to discuss."

With a similar lack of alacrity – the exception being Hilda once again – the newcomers took their seats.

"Now, for the others…" Wallace too returned to his seat and tapped away briefly at a small computer before him, gesturing in an off-handed manner at what appeared to be five holographic projectors built into the table around them. "They will join us, if they can… Now." He finished typing with a final flourish, and two of the five erupted in a cascade of light, crackling harshly with static for a moment before coming into a much clearer focus and revealing the identities of those who used them – from the torso up, at least. The other three projectors remained inert.

"Two out of five isn't bad, given that you had such short notice." Cynthia remarked.

"True…" Wallace sighed. "I just wish Drake would reply sometimes, but we'll work with what we've got."

One of the holographic figures raised a hand.

"Testin' the link." Lance was easily distinguishable by the shock of hair that adorned the top of his head. "Seems fine. Hey, Wallace, Cynthia, Ash. How's it going? Oh, and May, too. Nice to see you again."

"Works clear on this end, too." This figure was harder for Ash and May to recognise straight away, but the voice helped brought them quickly to the right conclusion. "Greetings, all."

"Steven!"

"Quite a party you've got going today Wallace. Only missing Alder, who I'm guessing is busy or still recovering; Cameron – the same, and Drake, who'd never answer anyway." Lance grinned widely. "So, What's the occasion?"

"Right on both counts, my friend." Wallace said, affirming the Kanto champion's initial comments before pausing; partly to consider his words, but partly for dramatic effect, too. "It is about time that I enlightened you all as to the cause for this meeting, so that we can better pool our resources for the coming storm."

No-one at the table, in the flesh or via hologram, felt particularly encouraged by his tone, top of discussion – veiled in colourful language as much as it might have been - or sudden change of mood, from contentedness to utter seriousness.

"Which would be?"

"Why, a conspiracy, of course." Wallace replied, resting his chin on his steepled fingers. "Yes... A conspiracy of Brobdingnagian proportions."

* * *

Before expanding on his disturbing statement, the Hoenn champion had insisted upon properly introducing his Unovan counterpart to Lance and Steven, who welcomed her into the fold as they would normally have done weeks ago, if it were not for the upheaval in Unova after the crisis at the regional league.

Hilda's attitude to her fellow champions landed squarely between her fanatical worship of Ash and the attitude that she had showed to Cameron the day before. Having never interacted with these figures of legend before, and having not had the dampening experience of meeting one's actual idol at the same time – as had occurred with Cynthia in the tunnels below mid-western Hoenn – Hilda was respectful, somewhat quiet, but not enough to be accused of shyness.

In short… Cynthia realised as she watched from the side. Exactly how I was when I first became champion.

The conversation then briefly turned towards the three absences at the table.

There were a number of plausible reasons for the lack of presence from Alder and Cameron, ranging, as Hilda was quick to point out, from the difference in time-zone between the regions, to the gruelling schedule of raids that the two had been conducting on Team Plasma's territory for some time.

The matter of the other absentee was quickly dismissed, but the area of the conversation quickly evolved into an explanation – primarily for Ash's benefit – about the politics and drama over the Orange Islands league.

As it turned out, the status of the regional league as part of the overall system was constantly in doubt, and therefore so too was the legitimacy of the title of champion for said region. The Orange league paid far less in official membership fees than it was supposed to, citing various factors for its supposed inability to do so, all simply too long or too bureaucratic to be actually worth mentioning.

That, however, was not the reason that Ash's status as champion – or former champion, rather - had never been made clear to him, whether it was official or otherwise.

As the chat now moved on to encompass Drake, champion of the Orange league, Ash noticed Cynthia, Lance and even Steven and Wallace trying – and failing – to suppress grins as the crimson-haired champion began to explain.

Essentially, Drake had been extremely careful about his assertion and application of the league rules about succession, but rather liberal in his subsequent explanation of them to Ash.

That is to say, he hadn't said a word to him about them, and had simply congratulated him and handed him the trophy.

A trophy which his mom, as he recalled, had started using as an off-hand dumbbell practically the moment that he had triumphantly presented it to her.

In any case, once Ash had left the Orange Islands for Kanto he had unwittingly relinquished his throne, as per league rules, to the former holder, assuming that they still resided in the region themselves. Which Drake did indeed happen to do so.

Ash said a number of rather uncharitable things about Drake after that, receiving hasty apologies from those who were still stifling giggles, as they had not known about Drake's duplicity until only two years ago, and it had slipped their mind since then to make him aware of it.

Five minutes consisting of nothing but such banal chatter passed before Archie had had enough. He had declared that if Wallace didn't hurry up and get on with it, he would find himself with one less man around the table – two less, Maxie then added in solidarity with his former foe.

That quieted everyone else down, and so Wallace returned to his original point.

The champion of Hoenn would always be seen by the adoring public – as he had been seen before taking over from Steven – as a calm, collected, dramatic, noble hero.

Most of those adjectives applied themselves easily to the words that he proceeded to speak, but if one, just one descriptive word was lacking during that time, it would ironically be his sense of drama.

Some knew portions of the events that Wallace proceeded to reveal and expand upon, primarily as they had told him themselves, but only he knew them all.

Only he had the _full picture._

Until now.

Increased activity by the criminal organisation Team Rocket in Kanto and Johto, this titbit provided by Lance…

The existence of an amazing tunnel linking Hoenn and Unova – operated by Team Plasma - discovered by Ash and the others just the day before…

The incredible destruction of said tunnel by the time Hoenn league agents had swooped upon its location, confirmed by Wallace himself…

Team Rocket's actions in Unova concerning Meloetta, witnessed and prevented by Ash, Cameron, Cilan, Cynthia, Iris and Dawn…

A rise in unresolved kidnappings across Hoenn, apparently in the same style as had been done to May, correlated from police reports by Wallace…

The discovery and subsequent unexplainable demolition of a secret base in the northern mountains of Hoenn, run by an unknown group, first discovered by Cameron and Steven barely two weeks before…

Finally, and most disturbingly of all, was the most recent piece of news that Wallace had received from Alder and Cameron barely an hour ago.

That Ghetsis, leader of Team Plasma, had somehow escaped Unova league custody and was on the run, his future mad intentions and plans unknown…

Hilda seemed to be the most horrified at Wallace's last offering, and for good reason; she trembled with rage as she described her encounter with said enemy at the Unova league, and his cruel, power-hungry treatment of his Pokémon that had caused N to reject his teachings and flee with Reshiram.

Ash could've sworn at this time that he had noticed Zekrom's Poké ball shake ever so slightly as she mentioned the name of the Vast White Pokémon, but thought nothing of it as he saw how upset she was at hearing of his freedom.

Instead, feeling that it was the right thing to do, Ash scooted over to put his arm around the Unovan champion as she told her tale. Apparently overcome already by the story, she simply smiled at him to show her appreciation instead of speaking with higher volume, pitch or intensity, and he smiled back.

On Ash's left side, it was May's turn to hold back the urge to glare at the other brunette, though she was also torn by the sympathy that she felt after hearing the story of the events at the Unova league.

Wallace dropped every single bombshell of information down onto them without the slightest hint of flair, recounting who, what, where, when and why in quick succession, so that, by the end of it, a flustered Archie insisted upon at least _opening a damn window if_ the blinds could not be drawn back, because _it's getting too stuffy in here._

In an effort to cut off any incoming objections that he was drawing false conclusions from a bunch of unconnected events – truth be told, it was most likely to be Cynthia that would end up objecting in such a manner – he pointed out that never before in world history had so many crises, so much strife, so much of the kind of thing that was very much going on right now ever taken place before in any time period.

Something had been set in motion, he suspected. Perhaps for as long as ten years, he added, reeling off a list of just a few of the incidents throughout that period of time; the awakening of Lugia in the Orange archipelago, of Groudon and Kyogre in Hoenn – Archie and Maxie averted their eyes, embarrassed at their inclusion – and of Dialga, Palkia, Giratina and Arceus in Sinnoh.

_All events that I've been a part of…_ Ash realised, but kept the thought to himself.

Wallace called a ten minute recess at that point, eager to allow everyone to collect their thoughts for the hard part.

The hard part… Actually figuring out how to deal with it all. Some kind of solution to a problem that they could hardly even be sure how to quantify.

_Something._

* * *

Ultimately, though the majority of people in that room that day were _champions_ or at least leaders of some kind. Even Ash and May had amassed a great deal of experience on dealing with dangerous threats, together and apart.

Confidence began to return to them, slowly at first, then more quickly as the dam on their collective intelligence burst, ideas playing off ideas to create a solution.

Creating a plan. A plan for fighting against an enemy that they not could be sure existed, and they certainly had very little idea what form that enemy might take.

The plan that they had to make therefore had to be flexible. It had to be strong and forceful enough to counter the obvious dangers that lurked above – the threat of Plasma, particularly if it was spreading to Hoenn, and of Team Rocket, as they gained influence in the Indigo league regions – but still had to be intangible enough to detect and reveal threats of the more esoteric nature – threats that even they could not foresee.

Assuming that their foe had some overall plan, however, their best approach was to focus on dismantling what they could, and yet remain alert and watchful for the slightest sign that they might be playing into a trap of some kind.

Towards the goal of dismantling the operations of their foes, therefore, they decided to focus on Plasma first.

Lance assured that the situation in Kanto and Johto was not yet openly serious to warrant any kind of serious intervention. If Plasma had spread to Hoenn – as the tunnel suggested it had – then it could spread to Sinnoh too, or go even further afield.

Nobody wanted _that._

If the Indigo league situation did escalate, he would make sure to give them plenty of warning about it.

Meanwhile, then, they would focus on Plasma in Hoenn, while keeping an eye on Sinnoh and allowing Alder and Cameron to finish dealing with Plasma holdouts in the region that had spawned the group in the first place; Hilda informed them that, as far as the Unova league was aware, the last known strongpoint would be cleared in two days' time.

The two main absentees would be informed of said decision by Wallace as soon as was possible; he gave his word.

After a short debate, they chose not to involve Drake unless evidence pointed towards the possibility that the Orange archipelago was under threat. There was no need to complicate the issue with another, likely vociferous participant… If he would even deign to reply at all.

They made much more specific plans for Hoenn, as it seemed to be the region most-threatened at the present time.

It was decided that they would aim to investigate and rescue anyone who had been taken prisoner in similar circumstances as May had been; even if those leads proved to be useless, they might uncover more important intricacies in the process.

Ash volunteered for that task almost straight away pausing only briefly to consult with Pikachu, and once he was in the presence of Hilda and May was guaranteed too.

The two even practically fell over each other to agree first.

Cynthia offered to go with them again, recompleting the quartet that had been forged in Hoenn's dark underbelly, and it was quickly agreed that it was the best course of action for the four to take.

Lance noted privately that Cynthia seemed to have far less reservations about Ash and the others being at all involved in this kind of conspiracy hunting - though it was hard to tell through the distortion and static necessitated by the thousands of miles that separated him and the others

Suppressing a smirk, he wondered if it had anything to do with the newly-assured presence of Zekrom in the group, and how much the Deep Black Pokémon likely contributed to their overall safety.

Following on from that, Wallace chose to stay inside his regular duties as Hoenn's champion, hoping to calm the public mood while coordinating this private war. Steven, meanwhile, offered to go back out into the field and do some snooping; see what he could find, separate from Ash's group.

Archie and Maxie argued strongly that their talents and resources that they could command from their respective organisations were best served by providing auxiliary support. Like Wallace, they would continue to carry out their public activities as they had done in the years since the incident with Groudon and Kyogre – acting as environmental groups, while attempting to sniff out more clues that might lead to Plasma.

After some time, everyone was eventually in agreement that this was the best way forward.

Ash still wasn't sure that he could trust the reformed men, but if Wallace was sure...

The holograms winked out first, Lance and Steven having given their best wishes and goodbyes before departing. The rest left in stages; Archie first, then Maxie five minutes later. Ash's group went next, leaving Wallace alone in the room. He wished them good luck, and said that he would be in touch at times to talk about more frivolous things than their current problems; contests, for instance, a prospect which May greeted with the most enthusiasm.

The quartet found the guards at the front desk to be asleep again as they made their way back out into the early afternoon sun, stretching hard and nursing sore, unused muscles after nearly three hours of sitting nearly still.

* * *

The first disappearance that they intended to investigate took place in Mauville City, only two days ago. They had a late lunch at the Pokémon centre, then decided to make an early start on their task and went on their way, leaving Oldale Town behind.

Instead of taking the long way around, as Ash and May had on their first time around Hoenn, they instead travelled north, intending to cross the water eastwards and proceed even further up to Mauville Town, a journey that could be completed in less than two days.

Route one-oh-three ("_One hundred and three!"_ Hilda eventually shouted after May began to hum the number over and over again) seemed barely larger than the connecting route between Oldale and Petalburg City… On the map, at least.

In reality, it seemed that the electronic map that Cynthia had been using had simply failed in some way, recording it as being far shorter than it actually was. Having left the town behind at just past three o'clock in the afternoon, it took them five hours to reach the river's edge that they would need to cross to be on the road to Mauville City.

They decided to stop there for the night, and carry on the next day. They weren't physically exhausted – although Pikachu did seem a little tired - but all could tell that a good night's sleep would do wonders for their peace of mind.

Cynthia did most of the cooking that night, with some input from Hilda, who professed that she had some skill in the culinary arts; she had made food for herself on her own journey throughout Unova, after all.

Ash and May were relegated to the task of finding firewood after recounting anecdotes over their mishaps with poffins and Pokéblock.

None used tents that night, eschewing the kind that Dawn generally preferred to sleep outside of for the slightly more rugged comfort of sleeping bags.

May drifted off quickly and started snoring, beaten to the land of dreams only by Ash, though if Pokémon are to be considered as well, Pikachu definitely won.

Hilda was next, succumbing to the lure of her own listlessness while muttering incessantly about how annoying May's snoring was, before ironically doing much the same herself.

How the two avoided waking Ash up that night is beyond explanation.

That left only Cynthia, kept awake mainly by her own thoughts.

The snoring played a part too, to be fair.

She thought back over the events of the day, over what they had heard, discussed; what they had planned and decided.

_It's good that we've now got some kind of focus, some way of fighting for what we believe in..._

_I'm still not sure about Ash and May being dragged into all of this, but I guess they can handle themselves all right, and, after all, there is Zekrom…_

_Almost all of us involved now are champions. It's good that we're doing something productive for once to protect our regions._

_Lance, Lance, Lance…_

Her eyes snapped open, then narrowed as she thought about the Kanto champion, recalling his mannerisms throughout the day. Or, at least, the mannerisms that she had been able to discern through the distortion of the communications hologram. She'd been distracted at the time by the news, but she could still see his sometimes smirking, sometimes serious face in her mind's eye, and she didn't like what she remembered of how he had seemed.

_A little off, maybe, a little distracted? Or even reluctant, pained?_

_Was he lying? Was he keeping something from us? _She cursed herself for not paying enough attention to something so potentially obvious. Fighting for sleep against regrets and the obnoxious sound of two snoring teenage girls, she resolved to be more careful next time.

_We can't afford mistakes if Wallace is anywhere near correct about this whole conspiracy…_

* * *

"_Fair? At what point in our negotiations did you convince yourself my goal was to be fair?"_

_**- Vedalken Plotter, Guildpact**_

More Zekrom, more Pokémon, a little less drama next time, guys. I promise. Keeping the story flowing and find some balance where I can.


	18. Courage

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

It's that time of the week again! First up, reviews.

Thanks again for the review, J.F.C! I'm glad that you like the inclusion of Aqua and Magma; they'll be appearing more as the story progresses - albeit perhaps not today – but who can say where they'll fit in to the conflict?

Thanks too for your two reviews, Nauran. I've considered adding a proper intro – i.e., an author's note - to the story just before prologue #1, but I certainly wouldn't want people to just skip it; irrelevant and outside the plot of the story as it might seem now, I'm sure that you're aware that it'll be important later. If others don't see that and are turned off by it, well, that's a shame, but I've no intention of changing the content itself.

Finally, thanks for the guest review, anon. For the most part, I'm not really too sure how to write regarding the canonicity of the movies, and, for the most part, I'd rather keep them out of sight, out of mind unless the events that they portray directly reference or resemble a certain plot point. This paragraph, incidentally, may seem rather paradoxical if seen from a future perspective, assuming the story ends up playing out how I currently intend it…

For the moment, then, I'd consider any movie that has been confirmed by the show as canon, such as The Rise of Darkrai (M10), to be canon. This story is, after all, merely a forked canon following on from BW089, albeit with some minor artistic license on events that never directly involved Ash's circle of friends (best shown in chapter two). I suppose that all I can offer at the moment about this issue is that I'll be clearer on it in time.

Speaking of canonicity, yes… This is going to be the first chapter to directly consider the issue of the ages of the group involved (i.e. Ash/May/etc.). As you will shortly see, the approach that I am taking will slightly jar with said official canon, but only because of the nonsensical necessity that the creators have to apply when making Ash and company never-aging characters. I've put off and flat-out avoided it, making only reference to time and years passing without specifying age, but that will change now.

You'll see what I mean.

For the purposes of chronology, this chapter (eighteen) is set the day after chapter seventeen, directly following on from it. It thus takes place on the second day of the Kanto group's vacation, three days before chapter sixteen, and during the third morning since Ash and Cynthia left Kanto.

* * *

_**(Ash, Cynthia, Hilda and May)**_

Cynthia was the only one to remain completely dry on that first morning.

Having set up camp on one side of the watery divide that split route one hundred and three ("That's one-oh-three!"; Hilda's repeat objections to their pronunciation were duly ignored), they woke the next day in anticipation of crossing it.

Having never passed this way before, the four were taken completely by surprise at the sheer size of the natural obstacle that they faced. The darkness had also worked against them the previous night, preventing them from recognising scale of the expanse before them until the next morning.

"Well, we're not swimming across that." Cynthia wouldn't hear any sort of that talk. "We can't even see the other side from here, and I'm not about to let any of you catch pneumonia from swimming in water that cold for an extended period of time. Who knows how long it would take to cross?"

Hilda added that she couldn't swim anyway. There was _that_, too.

This wasn't a water feature that was regularly crossed by those who lived nearby, so there was nowhere that they could buy a commercial journey from. Borrowing, renting or buying a boat would require the expenditure of too much time and money for any of them to be an efficient solution to their problem…

Particularly, as Hilda was quick to point out, when they had a mode of transportation that was completely free and could be carried out in a fraction of the time that returning to Oldale Town and finding a boat would inevitably consume.

Their decision-making process promptly turned, then, to which Pokémon would be best-suited for the job.

Ash was quick to admit that he had none on hand that would be of any real help in this scenario. Out of the water- and flying-type Pokémon that he had with him, Swellow was too small to carry even one person across, and Totodile had even more of the same problem.

He noted blithely, after Swellow had a meagre attempt at lifting a protesting May merely _towards _the water, let alone over it, that it was of little use including a flying-type Pokémon in your team for the auxiliary purpose of travel if said flying-type could not actually carry a human at all.

May was next to shrug off responsibility. Only Wartortle was even slightly suitable for the task at hand, and, while it _was _bigger than Totodile, it would find the work far too strenuous to be a viable candidate.

That left Cynthia and Hilda to save the day, and both were able to call upon Pokémon who could fly them across the water.

Cynthia asked Braviary for its helpful service, and promised the others that it would be able to carry two of them on its back with no trouble.

Hilda, meanwhile, let out the Deep Black Pokémon. It took a little convincing…

**+Because this is such a worthwhile use of my abilities. Assuredly so.+ **Zekrom bent down slightly, arching its back to let them climb on. The message that it psychically sent immediately had Ash, Cynthia and May clutching their heads, while the Unovan champion carried on as normal. She was used to it, apparently.

"Oh, shush." Hilda patted it on the back as it did as she requested.

Neither did Pikachu feel any negative impact. If anything, Ash's starter seemed to be chatting to Zekrom as the humans talked around them. The legendary said nothing in return, occasionally nodding its head, but to the onlookers – given the Mouse Pokémon's mannerisms – it hardly seemed like a one-sided conversation.

No matter how many times he experienced it, Ash didn't think that he would ever get used to the "wonders" of telepathy.

Then there was the rather contentious matter of who would go over the water with whom, in the necessary groups of two.

Ash realised, in retrospect, that sending Hilda and May over the river together had not been the best course of action that they could have taken.

Not that it was really his fault. Hilda and May had objected to the other crossing the river with Ash, for reasons that he couldn't even begin to fathom, and so he had suggested - as a compromise - that they should go together while he went with Cynthia.

Thus, the coordinator climbed onto the dragon next to Hilda, while Ash sat behind the Sinnoh champion on Braviary.

In terms of speed, there was no real contest. As fast as Braviary was, it was no match for the legendary, and Hilda and May disappeared over the horizon on the back of the Deep Black Pokémon. Both girls were screaming as they were carried away on its back; the latter in fear and surprise; the former in joyous exhilaration.

It took the flying-type ten minutes to make the crossing with its powerful wings, in comparison to the two minutes that Zekrom covered the distance in. The trainer, his starter and the champion simply silently admired the view as they flew over the water, sparkling as it reflected the fledgling, early morning sun, and felt the cool breeze that carried the smell of wet soil and grass around them.

* * *

The problem arose from this difference in flight time between the briefly separated groups.

The first hint of trouble came when they came back into Zekrom's normal telepathic broadcasting range – while still flying - and began to pick up its side of a very confusing conversation.

**+No, I do not think that it would be appropriate for me to attack her with a DragonBreath.+**

"Huh?"

"Hit who? What? Why?" Ash gaped, and Cynthia had no answers for him at the time. They simply flew on, hoping that they wouldn't be arriving in a battle zone when they landed. _Again._

**+No, Hilda, I do not think that using Bolt Strike would be acceptable **_**either.**_

Somewhere in the eight-minute gap, the coordinator and the champion of Unova managed to have a disagreement over something that, by the time Braviary reached the river bank opposite from where it had started, had evolved into a full-blown shouting match.

"I still can't believe that you would do that to me!"

"Me? I can't believe that_ you _would drag me in!"

"If you hadn't pushed me in then I wouldn't have tried to grab you and hold on!"

"_Pushed_ you? How dare you accuse me of that! You _fell_ in!"

They dismounted to view the drama unfolding in front of their them, though Cynthia dallied in returning her flying-type to its Poké ball; Braviary was just as bemused as everyone else.

Hilda stood to the left as they looked outward from the river; May to the right. The two girls had a lot in common at this precise moment, far more than just their hair colour; their expressions of indignation also matched, and both were also drenched from head-to-toe, their clothing soaked through. May's bandana had been abandoned for the moment, left by the river's edge, while Hilda held – but did not wear – her cap, and was waving it around aggresively as she remonstrated with the coordinator. Even so, it still appeared to be full of water… Was she _saving_ it for a sneak attack?

Zekrom remained out of its Poké ball, standing close to the bank with the barest touch of the water caressing its heels. Its head was bowed, its eyes were closed; an arm raised to cover one side of its face suggested that it was both deeply annoyed and somewhat overwhelmed by the situation.

**+Help.+**

_Okay, a legendary asking for help over something like this is really not what I thought I'd see when I woke up this morning._

"Pika?"

"Why are you guys fighting?" Ash shouted at the girls, but remained unheard over their shouting.

"What happened between them?" Cynthia asked Zekrom, and had a little more luck.

**+May…+** The dragon seemed to halt for a moment before continuing, and Ash realised that it was probably seeking confirmation that it had got the coordinator's name right. **+She slipped off my back into the water just before we reached solid ground and… Dragged my trainer in with her.+**

"Oh…"

**+They have been shouting like this for nearly eight minutes now, arguing in circles, in spite of my attempts to placate them.+** Zekrom informed them.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure… I mean, I know you don't like me, but really-" They paused to listen in on the fight between the two brunettes, May getting the pick of the best passive-aggressive statements… From Cynthia's unbiased adjudication, anyway.

"Do you know how long it'll take to dry my hair after that?" Hilda despaired, raising her hands up high.

"Oh, I'm not surprised that you'd care about something as shallow as that…"

"_Shallow? You_'recalling _me_ shallow?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

It was like watching a tennis game, the barbed insults flying back and forth in the same manner as an airborne tennis ball.

"I remember that Max, May's brother, accidentally pushed her into a puddle of mud once when we were all travelling together with Brock." Ash told the others quietly. "It took nearly an hour to convince her that it was actually an accident. She didn't stop shouting or pouting nearly the entire time."

"I doubt Hilda's going to back down any time soon either…"

"Pika..."

**+I am a legendary Pokémon, scion of the might of ideals, defender of the Unova region, and I have faced down and defeated countless terrifying threats in the past.+** Zekrom sent, and there was almost a hint of resignation to his telepathic voice as he continued. **+I was not prepared for this.+**

"Come on, girls, it was just an accident." Cynthia tried to take charge, walking forward with her hands out, adopting the most soothing tone of voice that she could. "Let's just calm down and-"

"Butt out!" Hilda screeched, her rage momentarily overcoming her good sense at who she was talking to. She whirled around and her cap whirled with her, the contents soaring out freely as she moved.

With reflexes honed by years in the field, the Sinnoh champion deftly dodged the harmless payload.

Ash wasn't so lucky.

Hilda and May gasped and immediately shut up, faces going beetroot red from embarrassment rather than anger.

He didn't say anything, stunned by the abrupt ending of the fight that had finished with the unexpected outcome of him joining the ranks of the soaking wet.

The short walk out of the remainder of route one hundred and three was conducted in complete silence.

* * *

They were highly fortunate that the weather remained as pleasant as it was, as time passed and midday arrived. Ash dried quickly, and even Hilda and May could hardly complain after an hour in the sun; only Hilda's hair was even still slightly wet when the time for lunch was realised.

The temperature would never again that year approach heights quite so scorching as Ash and Cynthia had experienced in Unova; given its geographical location, Hoenn simply couldn't compete in that department. Even so, there was still plenty of summer left to be enjoyed, and their current location gave them ample opportunity to do so.

Route one hundred and ten – Hilda had finally given up, at this point – was a winding path that fell directly under a scenic, seaside cycling route. A strong barrier fence separated land and sea along the route, with the overhanging portions of cycling road above providing brief bouts of shade as a contrast to the exposed path.

Due to a number of budget cuts over the years, and a recent dispute between the local councils of Slateport City and Mauville City, the bottom road was beginning to overgrow, and they spotted the occasional family of wild Pokémon, including an abundant number of Zigzagoon, eking out an existence, scurrying away at the slightest provocation from the humans that they saw to be trespassing on their land.

The crux of the political dispute was found in the diminishing budget that each council possessed; neither local authority wanted to claim the intermediate road as their own, for the unfortunate need to spend money on it would become pressing. Thus, both were attempting to wash their hands of it; having a disastrous impact on its safety as a connection for human passage. Let alone the wild Pokémon that were beginning to flourish across the route; without proper maintenance, the very ground that the road was built on would eventually become unstable.

Cynthia recounted this information as she prepared the food for them, and continued as they settled down to eat, explaining that Wallace had given her the details at a meeting six months ago. While she was therefore not up to date on the issues involved, it was clear that nothing had been done in the meantime to resolve them. They ate in the shadow of one of the supporting pillars of the cycling road above, gaining a brief respite from the warmth above.

Ash and May paid attention mostly out of courtesy, but neither had a particular love for the political intricacies of running and maintaining a region. Hilda, on the other hand, listened raptly, constantly asking questions and making comments. The champion of Unova had a particular head for the financial sides of these discussions, which continued after they had packed up and moved on; at Cynthia's urging she told them that she had helped out with her mother's business since the age of ten, and had only become a Pokémon trainer just over a year before, at fifteen years old.

Ash had been caught off guard by this revelation, but on reflection realised that it was not actually that surprising. Bianca and Trip were fifteen, and had been completely new to being Pokémon trainers when they had started their journey almost a year ago. It seemed to be a custom of Unova – in contrast to the Indigo, Hoenn and Sinnoh leagues – to have trainers begin later in life, rather than start as soon as they reached ten.

He wasn't sure which way he preferred. Neither seemed to be a bad way to go about things, and it certainly hadn't harmed Hilda's competence to only have one year of experience in comparison to his _six;_ she had reached the Pokémon league, after all, faced down Victory Road, defeated the Elite Four and captured Zekrom.

Still, Ash mused, if he hadn't started off back in Pallet Town all those years ago at ten years of age…

He wouldn't have had anywhere near as many amazing adventures…

He wouldn't have met anywhere near as many brilliant people, including the three with him now… Even if he was still a _little_ peeved at Hilda for the water volley earlier…

_And, most important of all,_ He finished_. I wouldn't have met Pikachu. Where would I be without you, buddy? _He reached up to scratch the Mouse Pokémon's ear affectionately; his starter had been snoozing on his shoulders, but hardly minded the wake-up call.

* * *

"You know what's weird?" May asked aloud, apparently to no-one in particular. They had just started walking again after eating, careful to leave nothing behind that could damage their surroundings.

Cynthia noticed Hilda twitch slightly at the near-rhetorical question, seemingly biting back a snappy response. Ever since the river incident, the two brunettes had managed to refrain from snapping or glaring at each other at all, even during lunch; an impressive achievement, considering the fact that they had been sitting opposite each other at the time.

She wondered if the two were doing so to avoid embarrassing themselves further in front of Ash, but suspected that the raven-haired trainer wouldn't have noticed even if they hadn't declared something of a truce.

"What's weird?"

"I haven't seen or heard a single bike go over us since we started walking down here."

"Pika?"

"Oh…"

"Huh…"

They paused for a moment, thinking this over.

"Isn't this supposed to be a popular bike route or something?" Ash added, unsure solely because his previous trip to Mauville City had been dominated by the need to win a third badge more than anything else.

It still felt weird, now that he thought about it again, that he was on a fairly-substantial journey that didn't involve collecting some kind of badge or symbol.

He wasn't sure which type he preferred.

"Maybe it's just closed?" Hilda opined.

"Wouldn't be closed today." Cynthia shook her head.

"Maybe they've finally started doing some kind of maintenance on it?" The brunette pressed.

"Could be."

"I guess we should just keep going, then." Ash said, resuming his pace from before. The others fell into step behind him, but Cynthia began to keep a closer eye on their surroundings, put on guard by yet another strange event.

What was also weird – though no-one raised it at the time – was that they had encountered no-one on the route so far. Sure, it was a little dilapidated and overgrown, but was still scenic.

It was even the kind of scenic you had to make an effort for, like Unova's route fifteen had been. That was characterised by steep paths, waterfalls, rough ground.

This was a walk in the park, by comparison.

_So where is everyone?_

Hilda ended up being the first to recognise the obvious in this case, but only after they actually ran into someone.

"Oh, hello there!" They practically _did_ run into the woman, given how slowly she was walking, though she saw them coming. "Nice to meet you! My name's Rose." They greeted her in return as they approached.

She was older than Cynthia, but not much older; mid-thirties, at most, with an absent-minded expression stretched across her face. She certainly seemed to be capable of walking faster, but was apparently determined to enjoy the scenery at its fullest.

She also seemed determined to engage them – or, at least, Cynthia – in conversation, and began relentlessly chatting to the blonde champion barely seconds after she had introduced herself.

The woman didn't recognise Cynthia, even after the champion gave her name, and so certainly didn't recognise the rest of the group. She was just happy to engage complete strangers in banal conversation. This, coupled with the fact the Cynthia was reluctant to hurt such a person's feelings, and thus made little attempt to speed up – ultimately contributing to Hilda's rapidly diminishing patience.

The brunette champion commented to Ash that it had been far too long since she had had a proper battle – then dreamily commented that she'd love to battle with or against him - and Ash realised that he had been thinking the same thing.

_Well, the first thing that she had said, anyway. And maybe the second too, hm…_

He found that thought rather amusing with the gift of hindsight in the hours to come.

* * *

"Absolutely lovely weather we're having, dear!"

"Erm, yes, I suppose it is."

"I do like to take a walk along this route every now and then. I suppose I should more often, really. Not very nice to see it in this condition, though."

"Mmm."

"I haven't seen any of you before; are you new to the area?" Rose was proving to be an inquisitive person – whether she realised it, or not. Cynthia half-expected to see her glancing back suspiciously at the others in this rag-tag band, but the other woman kept her vision straight ahead.

"Sort of. We're just passing through."

"Ah. Shame. We could use more people in Slateport City. We've got some very interesting projects going on, now. Very interesting indeed."

"That's… Nice." Cynthia didn't enjoy one-sided conversations much… Especially when she was on the side that wasn't really talking.

They were approaching – slowly – a bend in the path, leading properly north again.

"Anyone hear the sound of someone cycling?" May asked to the group again, straining her ears to hear over the chatter.

"If this carries on I might just let Zee out and see what she thinks of it." Hilda muttered to Ash, rolling her eyes at their new acquaintance's babbling.

"Probably not a good idea, really." Ash counselled quietly.

_Wow. Am__** I**__ playing the voice of reason, here?_

"Seriously, can't anybody else hear that?" May persisted.

"I thought that was the wind." Ash tilted his head. "No, you're right, that's not the wind. That _does _sound like wheels."

"And we've got some lovely exhibits in the museum this time of the year; I really do recommend that you see them!" The woman carried on.

"Just need to push one button and she'd be gone." Hilda whispered, cradling Zekrom's Poké ball across her hands gently, a wicked grin forming across her face.

"Seriously, just listen you guys! That sounds like a lot of bikes!" May hissed, and Hilda fell silent too.

"Hard to hear over that woman." She grumbled, but then heard it too. "No, you're right. Maybe it's just them going over above? Maybe it finally opened up."

"Maybe…"

"No, it sounds like it's coming this way." Ash said. "Cynthia-"

Before they knew it, they were surrounded.

* * *

It all happened so fast, far too quickly for any of the group to react before they were encircled.

Whooping, snickering and catcalls joined the sound of grinding wheels as at least ten bikers rounded the oncoming corner and sped past them, forming the circle that began growing tighter as they rushed around, pushing the five surprised people – the bikers considered them "victims", really – away from the fence and into the centre of the path, backs together.

"The hell is this?" Hilda spat, her natural indignation overcoming her shock.

The bikers slowed, then the circling became static and the group was left to look at the grim, false visages adorning their helmets as they howled and laughed, the clear intention being to intimidate their "prey". All were dressed in matching black and gunmetal leather, the only individualisation being the helmet and bike designs.

Oh, how foolish they were.

Cynthia recovered her composure first, seeing off attempts to resist on the parts of Ash and Hilda with quickly placed, calming hands on their shoulders.

"Not yet." She whispered.

She had no need to do the same for May, who had stiffened her face into an annoyed pout that she had discovered came so naturally to her. It was far easier to maintain that expression when she was scared than a neutral one; in this situation, she was worried, but not terrified. She had every confidence in her friends.

Pikachu was reluctant to stay on Ash's shoulder, generating sparks from his cheeks constantly in a threatening display and frowning alternately at various members of the biker gang.

Rose on the other hand was completely speechless, almost certainly unused to this kind of adventure. Her mouth was opening and closing in a constant motion reminiscent of that of a fish, and she clung close to Cynthia, alternating between faces of terror and confusion.

Zekrom's ball began to shake ever so slightly of its own volition in Hilda's hand.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" One of the bikers spoke up, his helmet sporting stylised devil horns and gold trim.

_That's the leader._ Cynthia decided.

"Couple of live ones, boss." One of the others replied, and all of the outer circle chuckled. No-one inside it did.

"You should know not to walk down here today." The lead biker said, addressing the five this time. "Those days it's our road."

""Your road"?" Hilda asked. "Who the hell are you?"

"You lot must be new around here if you don't know who we are." The leader said, removing his helmet to reveal a shock of blonde hair against a young, rugged face. "We're the Emerald Biker Gang, and I'm the leader, Darrell. We own this road. Those corporate peons in the local "authorities" gave it up a long time ago. It's our turf now."

"Nice bikes." Hilda admitted, and Darrell showed a very toothy smile.

"I'd say thanks, but judging by the company you keep I'll bet you're not very big on the biker scene…"

Hilda crossed her arms while the others tried to work out whether to be offended or not.

"I had a bike once." May noted. "He destroyed it." She jerked a thumb right, glaring towards Ash – and/or Pikachu, it was hard to tell, really – at her side.

"I thought I paid you back for it by travelling with you!"

"Oh, so that's the only reason you travelled with me, is it Ash Ketchum?"

"That's all very nice, but it's time for you to go now. You've had your free warning, now get out." Darrell said, pointing out the way his bikers had come, leading towards Mauville City. His bikers opened a circle to let them out, but the intimidating aura didn't cease, offering a stark contrast to the still-shining, bright sun above.

They weren't planning on taking the free ride out just yet, though.

"Why not just use that?" May stated the obvious, still not understanding.

"Blame the government." Darrell growled. "The authorities. Whoever hasn't bothered to come and fix that dangerous weakening in the first set of pillars on the cycling road. Not us. We're just riding with the chaos."

Several of the bikers gave a cheer, and Cynthia rolled her eyes at their bravado.

"There are so many things wrong with that I'm not sure where to start." She shook her head. "Why not just go lobby them directly, in Slateport or Mauville if the situation's so bad?"

If Darrell had a commanding presence, it was nothing compared to what Cynthia could exhibit – and she certainly was at this very moment, and he knew it.

"I'd love to debate politics all day, but I haven't got the time – or patience – to do it with someone as naïve as you, sweetheart." She narrowed her eyes. "Now _go."_

She began to respond, but was beaten to it.

"As a representative of the council of Slateport City, I can tell you that that's complete rubbish!" Rose had found her voice, and had chosen to use it now. "There have been delays, certainly, but only because of the legal wrangles with Mauville! Why, that's why I'm here at all, to inspect the damage to both this route and the cycling path!"

_So that's why she was walking so slowly._ Cynthia mused.

Later, Cynthia would point out that Rose had probably acted with the most courage out of all of them that day; not for what she had said, but because she had done so without knowing anything about the strength of those she had accidentally found herself with.

_It takes a great deal more courage to stand up for something you believe in when you don't think that you have an army behind you._

Her pronouncement stopped Darrell for a moment, but his eyes quickly jumped in understanding and excitement, and, somehow, he grinned even wider than ever before.

"Councillor Rose Talbot?" The other bikers had stopped chuckling.

"Y-yes?" She stammered, surprised at his recognition.

"Excellent. So you're the kind of bureaucratic scum who rule over this world, but don't live in it. What kind of life do you have, whiling away your time in front of records and papers, as you're so clearly famed for doing?"

"I-" She balled up her fists, but he wouldn't let her respond.

"No. It's people like you who've allowed this to happen. My offer of a free pass out has been rescinded. You're going to see some of the damage you came to observe, all right, councillor." He rolled her title contemptuously off the tip of his tongue. "And _more."_

The councillor was shaking now, a mix of fear and anger consuming her emotions.

"Is that a threat?" Cynthia whispered softly, drawing attention back to her.

"It can be." The lead biker replied. His tone was the antithesis of mild.

"How about a Pokémon battle to settle this properly then?" Hilda cut in.

"Why should we play fair? We outnumber you enough not to bother."

"Then all get involved, if you want. Use as many Pokémon as you have. We'll use one each." Hilda proposed, and the others agreed without question. The councillor looked at them as if they were mad.

"Twenty, no,_ thirty _to four? You're either crazy or stupid." Darrell spat. "I'm not going to back down from a reckless challenge like that, kid. Send 'em out, boys and girls!"

The bikers spread out a little, widening the circle and moving the bikes to a safe distance, before proceeding to let out their Pokémon one at a time. Various poison-type and steel-type Pokémon emerged from their Poké balls; Grimer, Koffing, Magnetite, even a Magneton and Weezing here and there.

Darrell himself revealed a tough-looking Magnezone, a scarred Weezing and an angry-looking Muk as his choices.

The bikers leered down at the group that they surrounded, waiting for them to choose.

"Oh, you're all so badly outclassed and you don't even know it…" Hilda whispered. "It's not a proper battle but it'll do… For now."

* * *

Ash surprised the others by not picking Pikachu.

"Take a rest, buddy, let someone else have this one." His starter was a little annoyed at having to sit out a fight, but knew how long it had been for the others, and didn't complain.

He tossed the ball up into the air, releasing the pack leader of his Tauros onto the road. It snorted and bellowed a roar at the opposition.

"Bo-ring." Darrell dragged the word out and his gang laughed heartily in response. "You'll need to do better than that."

May chose next.

"Blaziken, on stage!" Her starter burst onto the road with a threatening cry, then assumed a fighting stance.

"Meh, better, but not going to be enough, hon."

"Me first." Cynthia stopped Hilda from going next. "Surprise them later. Spiritomb, battle dance!"

"Creepy!" May shuddered as the Forbidden Pokémon danced and popped around the limited space it had available, rolling its head around off its keystone before settling to floating in a circle above the other two Pokémon.

"Never seen that Pokémon before." The biker leader was impressed, but not rattled, as his gang stared at Cynthia's choice in fascination, then focused his gaze on Hilda. "All right, wannabe, you're the last. Better make it a good choice…"

"_Wannabe_? Me?! Ohhhh, you didn't just say that!"

"I did."

"Fine, you asked for it. Zee, you're up." She lazily tossed the Poké ball up and to the left, straight into the path of the sun. The flash of light from the ball mingled with the sun's glare to shield Zekrom from being properly observed as it came out.

In the time it took for the bikers to blink and clear their vision, it was gone.

"Huh?"

"What was that?"

"You playing us, kid?"

She didn't need to answer that question. Zekrom did it for her.

The dragon had swooped away, soaring high into the sky, silent as a passing cloud, before erupting in a thunderous roar as he descended back to the road, stabilising himself to hover next to Spiritomb above the four trainers and Councillor Rose, who was trying to work out whether to be more terrified of the dragon or the situation they were in.

All of the bikers – unprompted – took a step back as Zekrom regarded them.

"That's – that's not fair!" Darrell stuttered. Out of all the Pokémon that he had expected to see his angry adversary pull out, it wasn't anything like _this_.

"You want us to handicap us even more?" May shook her head.

"All right, fine. Zee, don't go on the offense. Play with anything that gets too close."

**+As you wish.+**

The dragon restricted its telepathic contact to those it knew.

"Do you have any Pokémon except Zekrom, Hilda?" May asked blithely, but still actively curious.

"Well, I did have to fight my way to him…"

"Meh. It's a bit unfair, though, if you think about it..."

"Get in there, lads!" Darrell pointed at the group.

Later, at the Pokémon centre, the quartet would debate as to who's Pokémon scored the most damage in the fight. Hilda conceded that the others had done an admirable job in ensuring that Zee had very little to do in the battle, aside from swatting away the occasional bold Magnemite or Koffing that ventured too close. His presence was enough, really.

Ash claimed victory for his Tauros' excellent work at defeating all three of Darrell's Pokémon, utilising its Take Down, Fissure and newly learned Zen Headbutt to get the job done. Evidently its long absence from his team had done nothing to diminish its potency in combat.

May also at first claimed victory for her Blaziken's efforts in dealing with many of the grounded poison-type Pokémon, especially the abundant Grimer, which could have posed a big problem for the trainers had Blaze Kick not cut through them so efficiently.

Ultimately, though, they too conceded the contest in favour of Spiritomb. The ghost/dark dual type gave an admirable repeat performance of its actions in the white forest in Unova, raining down havoc with Dark Pulse and Shadow Ball from above, flying higher than any of the bikers' Pokémon could manage.

While not a proper battle, it was still a crushing victory, and they were more than satisfied with the outcome. Especially how they were able to help after.

* * *

"My gang…" Darrell slumped down as he looked out dejectedly across the defeated members of his gang comforting their wounded Pokémon. The sunlight didn't match his mood at all, but suited Hilda just fine.

"Them's the breaks. Better luck next time. Let's roll." The others stayed put, and after about twenty seconds after walking up the path, she sighed and turned back to join them.

"Do you normally make a habit of attacking people like this?" Cynthia asked.

"Not really." He admitted, seeing no reason to be difficult in defeat. "We love this route. We really do. And everything that she represents…" He nodded at Rose, who was hanging back; his words caused the councillor's eyes to narrow. "She and her "authorities" are the reason nothing ever gets done. We're sick of it all."

"That's not true at all!" Rose barked, marching up to him. "I and my colleagues joined the council to serve the citizens of our local community, and we take our job very seriously!"

"You say that, sure." He scoffed. "But-"

"No, and I'll prove it to you. I'm going to head to Mauville City and submit my report to the council via e-mail tonight." She snapped. "Come with me if you like. I'll prove you wrong."

Darrell stared at her.

"Even if you do this, how do we have any guarantee that you'll carry on with this? That you won't just give up? Or that it'll take another year to even begin?"

"Maybe an act made in good faith might help?" Cynthia suggested.

"Huh?"

"Show us where your cycling road is damaged." She ordered him.

He complied, taking them up the path to the last of the overlapping areas of the route below and the bike-only area above. The pillars clearly were damaged and very unsafe, both for those passing high and low; barely structurally stable after years of rust and decay.

"No way will you be able to fix this so easily." Darrell stated disbelievingly. "You'd need proper equipment to reinforce the pillars, and it's not like we have it on hand, or we'd have done it ourself."

"Maybe we just need a substitute for the equipment…"

"Come again?"

"Got any spare metal that would be good enough for the pillar?"

Darrell affirmed this, sending a few of his bikers to collect the scrap.

Cynthia then turned to Hilda and May.

"I'm going to need your help."

"What's up?"

"What do you need?"

"May, could you send out Blaziken again please? We'll need a fire-type to heat up the metal so that it can be shaped."

"Sure, no problem."

"Hilda, have you got a psychic-type in your party? I know that Ash, May and I don't…" Ash had talked a lot about May's Pokémon the night before, but Hilda's party was still a mystery to the Sinnoh champion.

"How's this?" She offered. "Go, Yuna!"

Hilda's Reuniclus emerged, blinking and stretching in the sun, and greeted its trainer with a lengthy wave of its right arm.

"Perfect." Cynthia grinned. "Just perfect."

The Emerald Gang returned with the scrap metal and their work truly began.

Blaziken heated the metal, Reuniclus bent it with its psychic might, then both fitted the strips to the pillar to reinforce and strengthen it, with helm where appropriate from the gang members.

It was a bit of a patch-job, but given the time that they put into the work, it would certainly suffice for at least a year.

By which time Rose promised to have construction teams working on both paths, being careful to respect the needs of the wild Pokémon living in the area at the same time, but assuredly accelerating the process from its current standstill.

It was nearly dark by the time that they finished.

Darrell apologised to the group for attacking them, and thanking them for their understanding and their help, time and effort, promising to look at politicians – like Rose – in a new light, and that his gang would cause no more trouble in the area. The quartet waved goodbye to the councillor and the lead biker at the doors of the Pokémon centre, heading inside to get some food and some rest.

* * *

Cynthia thought over the events of the day that night as they dived into bed in the centre, exhausted by the work that they had performed.

It had become something of a ritual for her to do so; it helped her focus her mind, look for what she might have missed in situations that could prove useful later, that sort of thing. Also, even when this tired, it was hard for her active mind to sleep.

It was especially important given the size of the conspiracy that they were embroiled in, although the days' events had certainly been calm on that front for once.

Hilda snored loudly in the bed opposite – they had been required to pair together because of a lack of space – and the Sinnoh champion found her thoughts turning to her Unovan counterpart.

In terms of fitting into the group, she was a bit of a handful.

_Maybe I'll need to have a talk with both her and May at some point._ _Could be for the best._ She considered the thought, and then decided to drop it. _No, far too awkward. They'll just have to get used to each other._

One other thing about Hilda was of "concern" to Cynthia. Zekrom.

The legendary Pokémon's very presence had helped to turn the tide today, and she wondered how many more times it might do so in the future.

She also wondered how it might fit into the conspiracy.

What actually concerned her though was Hilda's – and Zekrom's – past.

Hilda had barely said a word about the events at the Elite Four. Cynthia realised that she'd managed to get more out about it from Cameron, and that spoke volumes.

The others – Ash and May – weren't enigmas like Hilda. They recounted anecdotes all the time, revelling in the past and their shared memories in particular.

Short of expressing her fanaticism of Ash and showing off her might – and getting into the occasional argument with May – the brunette champion hadn't told them much of anything about herself.

_Still, she seems trustworthy, and Cameron trusts her, of all people._

_Why do I feel so worried, though?_

Hilda snored again, much louder this time, and Cynthia surpressed an impulsive giggle.

_Or maybe I'm becoming the paranoid one…_

* * *

_A single seed unleashes a flurry of growth._

_**- Echoing Courage, Darksteel**_

Tell me what you think about Zekrom's portrayal here, please. He's a legendary and I wanted to portray the impact his presence alone would have on the fight, without actually having him do all the work and start a trend out of it. Not sure if that's the right approach, but your comments are welcome, of course.


	19. Search

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

First; damn, it's been a while, hasn't it? I have to apologise for the extended schedule slip. I expected that I might fall behind a little, but not _this _much.

As I noted a few chapters back, I started university in late September. At about the same time, Mists of Pandaria was released. Those two factors, combined with some actual work I have to do now and with the daily routine I've had to adopt, have meant that I've completely neglected updating this story. Sorry about this.

However, I'm now going to try to get back into the swing of things. I'm no longer going to guarantee Thursday night updates, nor even once a week offerings, but I'm certainly going to return to actually writing these chapters and forcing myself out of the malaise that I'm currently in.

On a mostly unrelated note, I don't know if any of you noticed but they decided to give Kotetsu the dubbed name of _Cameron. _Yeah, I was surprised too. Ironic, ain't it?

To avoid any confusion, I've added to chapter two (my Cameron's first appearance), stating that my Cameron has absolutely no relation to the anime's Kotetsu/Cameron. Indeed, this fanfiction began before Kotetsu's dub name was announced – it began, in fact, two or three months before Kotetsu's first episode even aired in Japan.

This is probably the hardest chapter I've written so far for Venatus – I haven't had writer's block so much as I've completely fallen out of a writing pattern, and it's taken some time to get used to it all again.

On reviews; thanks, J.F.C. and Nauran, your comments are very much appreciated as always.

The same goes to all of the guest reviewers and Bloomscool, sorry for worrying you, but I'm back now. I certainly wouldn't drop this work just because the anime moved on; hell, that was always the intention. As a forked canon, this holds on everything to everything up to BW089 and then diverges there.

Thanks for your reviews too, Julianmarq; in terms of the Johto champion, the simple answer is that there isn't one, or at least not a specific one. As in the games, Kanto and Johto share a champion, and so Lance is champion of both Johto and Kanto.

We're with Ash/Cynthia/Hilda/May for another chapter in this mini-arc now. Chapter twenty will focus on something a little different, however. Chapter twenty-one will, currently, remain with A/C/H/M, with twenty-two projected to continue with B/C/D/I. They'll certainly get their time in the limelight, don't worry.

In terms of chronology, this chapter (nineteen) is set the day after chapter eighteen, directly following on from it. It thus takes place on the third day of the Kanto group's vacation, two days before chapter sixteen, and during the fourth morning since Ash and Cynthia left Kanto.

* * *

_**(Ash, Cynthia, Hilda and May)**_

Mauville City turned out to be very much the same as Ash remembered it from his last visit. Like many of Hoenn's larger settlements, the city embodied a distinct duality of rustic traditionalism and welcoming homeliness.

Every locale had something that marked it out, of course, and Mauville was no exception. The city practically hummed with a certain barely-contained aura of excitement; the people normally extroverted, lively and always prepared to help resolve the slightest problem.

This attitude was best exhibited by the city's gym leader, Wattson, who had not lost his irrepressible spirit in the time since Ash had last seen him.

They woke early to avoid the morning bustle - none had any particular issue with getting up at such a time; it was one of the things that they had become acclimatised to on the road – and met the jolly man outside his gym, his Manectric shuffling happily alongside him, basking in the cool morning air.

After a short time spent catching up with Ash and May and meeting Cynthia and Hilda, Wattson insisted upon accompanying them to their destination; the house of the most recent missing person – the most recent victim of kidnapping. Wattson sadly informed them as they walked that the person's relatives were inconsolable, and that the experience might be a little difficult.

Ash knew how it felt to be separated from those he loved without the certainty that he would ever see them again; it had happened numerous times throughout his regional journeys that the group had been split up somehow, or one of their Pokémon had been snatched away. He clutched Pikachu a little tighter as they solemnly followed the road back past the Pokémon centre to the house.

Wattson left them at the doorstep of the house, explaining that he had a challenge to take at the gym. Cynthia took the lead and knocked heavily on the door three times.

The brief hope on the face of the mother formed knots inside their stomachs as it gave way to disappointment when she realised that her child was not among the group. She was panting from the exertion of sprinting to the door; she had clearly been crying on and off for some time and had had little sleep, given her bleariness and the dark shadows under her eyes.

The missing child was ten. Just ten.

"He was just about to get his first Pokémon!" The mother - June - had wailed, snorting into a worn handkerchief over a cup of tea. The uncontrollable waterworks were back. Cynthia had quickly aimed to be as comforting as possible – with practiced ease - leaving Ash, Hilda and May to feel extremely awkward about the situation.

_Ten. Ten years old. That was me just a few years back._

Now that he thought about it a little more, Ash found that he could understand Misty's feelings about being left behind as he had travelled, and recalled the worry he had witnessed in May's parents just a few days before. There was no certainty to be had in such separation; only the hope that someday, somehow, they would see each other again.

"He said he was just going to play near the day care for a little while… That was the last I saw of him! He just disappeared, I haven't seen him since!"

The police had performed a thorough search of a three mile radius around Mauville City, but had found no trace of her son.

"We'll do whatever we can to find him…" Cynthia soothed her gently.

"Please…"

_And what about mom?_ His thoughts pressed on as he observed the tearful woman, and his sense of inner turmoil increased. _Does she go through this every time I'm away? Is this why she never stops smiling when I'm back?_

_And what about me? Leaving aside anything that could happen to me, I'm away for so long that anything could happen to mom or my Pokémon while I'm gone…_

They left with information to follow up on, offering further, placating promises to do what they could to find the wayward child.

Ash looked back one time more than the others, taking in the distraught mothers' face once more as they walked away. He clutched Pikachu a tighter still as he suddenly found that he was no longer warm or comfortable, even as the temperature rose and the sun soared higher in the sky.

"I can't imagine what she must be going through…" Hilda whispered.

"We'll be the ones to bring her son back home." Cynthia replied.

They said no more all the way back to the Pokémon centre, reflecting silently on the mother's pain.

* * *

"First things first, just to get it out of the way," Cynthia began again as they reconvened in front of the red building. "Are we sure this is Plasma?"

The other stared at her. Despite not mentioning the criminal organisation to the woman, they had all taken for granted that Plasma would be involved.

"He might just be lost."

"What's there to gain in kidnapping a kid without any Pokémon?"

"Shock and fear, maybe."

"He was almost ready to get a starting Pokémon, maybe they wanted to send a message?"

"Either way, it's worth checking out." Cynthia summed up their trains of thought. "Confirming that it isn't Plasma will make Wallace breathe a little easier, if nothing else…"

"And finding him should be our top priority anyway, no matter how he disappeared." May added.

The possibility of Plasma not being involved didn't matter to them. Not after meeting the mother in person. Their mission could wait a few days if it turned out to be unrelated.

It was the sort of distraction that Ash had come to expect on his travels, and that he had hoped to avoid in the future for the sake of efficiency, but now he remembered just how much those experiences – experiences of helping people – had actually mattered. He really didn't mind being thrown off course now.

"Well, where do we begin?"

"Hilda," Cynthia turned to her suddenly. "Can your Reuniclus detect whether people have passed through an area?"

"Psychic tracing?" Hilda blinked. "Yeah, but the whole thing's a bit restricted. Yuna can tell whether or not people have been in an area, but she can't really tell who they are, and it doesn't go back more than a day."

"All right, guess we'll have to work this out the hard way then."

Hilda stayed out of the discussion about where to look first, not having travelled through Hoenn at any point in her life before. The others considered a map on Cynthia's phone.

"They might've gone east; somewhere across the river?"

The route up to Fortree City involved tall grasslands, then steep inclines and a lot of fog and rain. Crossing it the first time hadn't been the highlight of Ash's journey across Hoenn.

"Maybe, but there's not really any place they could go from there without taking a very long journey." Cynthia pointed out.

"West, then?"

"June said that the Day Care people hadn't seen or heard anything unusual on that road in days." May recalled.

"Darrell's had the south locked down for a while now…" Ash said. "Which leaves the north."

"Route one hundred and eleven." Hilda read off the map, then lightly smacked herself across the face. "Aww, now I'm doing it too…"

Ash remembered how he and his friends had nearly died of heat exhaustion in the desert along that route, saved only by good fortune and the kindness of a passing Camerupt.

_Not a happy memory…_

"They might have gone to Lavaridge Town, or even all the way up to Fallarbor."

"There are also the mountains here," The Sinnoh champion laid a finger down east of Lavaridge, then swept it further across. "Or the desert here. I'd say it's most likely to be one of those two."

"That journey looks like it could take a while, though, and we don't have time to waste." Hilda said, dubiously staring at the map. She was right; while the road west would have taken a few hours, heading north would consume the better part of a day, and they did not want to go looking around in the dark.

"Oh, don't worry about that." Cynthia said, the slightest mischievous grin forming across her face. "I've got that covered."

* * *

"Woah."

"_Damn_."

"Pii_kaaa_."

"_Nice."_

"It's not my style, but it'll do." Cynthia said brightly, enjoying their looks of astonishment.

She had directed the group round to the back of the Pokémon centre and revealed to them a little secret that she had been keeping since the start of the day.

The car was indeed not one of Cynthia's favoured types, but it was certainly a modern make, and would do what they needed it to do.

"And they just _gave_ it to you?" Hilda whispered as Cynthia dangled the keys in front of them before unlocking the car.

"Champions are entitled to, eh… Commandeer… Equipment when they require it, and that includes vehicles." She replied, stretching into the front seat and motioning for the others to enter as well. "I just politely asked if they had anything because we might need it, and the centre was happy to help. Besides, I'm going to bring it back. I, uh, left my own keys as collateral."

Hilda sniggered. Ash looked at her strangely, and then examined the car as they all buckled in.

_It has a roof. It has a roof and it has air conditioning. Glorious air conditioning…_

There was no argument on the subject of seating this time; the back had enough room for three, so Ash was squeezed into the middle by the two girls on either side. With Pikachu on his lap, he couldn't help but feel a_ little_ squashed.

Traffic was beginning to pick up in the energetic city, but could never reach the point that it would become difficult to manoeuvre, especially when compared to a place like Rustboro City.

"We'll go up to the mountains first, leave the car just outside and have a look around." Cynthia said as she swung out onto the open road.

"Couldn't someone just steal it, though?"

"I'll take the keys."

_Oh. Duh._

Ash didn't think that he preferred travelling like this to just walking everywhere. Sure, they saved a lot of time, and when they didn't have much to spare he could see it being invaluable to be able to speed around the countryside like this.

Still, if they had travelled around like this before, how many experiences would he have missed? How many friends would he have never made? How many Pokémon would he never have encountered, and how would his own have grown so strong without their adventures?

_Yeah. I definitely prefer my way._

* * *

Twenty minutes later – having caught the slightest glimpse of the desert as they sped through - they arrived at the foot of Mount Chimney. Cynthia parked under some nearby trees and joined the others to look across their objective.

Mt. Chimney stretched across the horizon as far as they could see, with only a small path indicating a route towards Lavaridge, and another, rocky and untamed, beginning the trek up the mount.

The mountain was an active volcano, which accounted for the ash it frequently belted out, showering Fallarbor Town and surrounding routes in its choking mockery of rain.

"This is going to be like finding a needle in a haystack…" Hilda muttered, tipping her head back to take it all in. "Where do we even start?"

"Most of the mountain is impossible to climb without equipment." Cynthia said, checking files that she had saved on her phone. "I can guess we can rule those parts out, huh?"

"So we're stuck at the bottom?"

"Last time we were here we took a cable car up to the top." May recalled. "There was some trouble with a meteorite."

"We met a Professor here who helped used keep it out of Team Magma's hands and…" Ash stopped, realised Cynthia was looking a tad impatient. "I'll explain later."

"You'd better. I'm looking forward to it." Hilda winked. Ash blushed. May growled. Cynthia sighed.

They walked up the mountain route and the cable car station quickly came into sight. It was exactly as Ash remembered, even down to the smoky grey substance that covered its roof. To the left of the station – and its cabled ascent – was yet another path.

"Last time we were here, the guy in the station said that there are a few caves around the foot of the mountain." May told Cynthia.

"Ok, that's helpful. Hilda, can you ask Reuniclus to check the area, please?"

"Uh, sure, but she's not really built for scouting, I mean-"

"Psychically, please."

"Oh. Right. Yuna, come on out!" Floating in the air, Hilda's Reuniclus awaited her trainer's command with a calm, soft sigh. "Give the area a psychic sweep!"

"Yuuu… Nee…" Reuniclus swept a gelatinous arm in a wide arc, blue traces of psychic energy glowing across the tips, then spreading to cover the area before the station. The energy seemed to catch and stagnate around some parts of the area. Some clung to the trainers and Pikachu, while others clutches hung around in the air, particularly near the door to the station and around the path.

Cynthia clicked her tongue in frustration.

"I was afraid of that." The champion of Sinnoh grimly swung her eyes from option to option as Hilda thanked and recalled her Pokémon. "We can't be sure either way, so we have to cover both."

"It could just be hikers – they could be going either way."

"Looks like we're splitting up." Hilda reasoned, her eyes quickly settling on Ash – a gesture which Cynthia caught.

"Yes," She said, and then quickly continued. "But no." She gave the champion of Unova a piercing stare, and Hilda looked away. May looked relieved; Ash merely confused. "I'll go with Ash, up on the cable car. You two check these caves out, but be careful."

"Alone with _her_?" May groaned.

"Hey!"

"We all need to be focused if we're going to find this boy and bring him home." Cynthia reminded them, adopting a no-nonsense tone, signalling that she wasn't willing to negotiate on this issue. She handed one of the bags containing supplies that they had brought to May. "We'll see you in a couple of hours." She walked off, leaving the girls looked a little defeated, and Ash just looking a little confused.

"Well, uh, see you later." Ash lingered a moment longer, completely lost at the frostiness of the end of their conversation, and entirely clueless as to the reason for Pikachu's sudden snickering.

* * *

Ash and Cynthia found the cable car station to be deserted, which wasn't too much of a surprise given that the car hadn't been docked when they had entered – the attendant accompanied it up and down. They waited in silence for a short while before Ash's grumbling stomach suddenly reminded them both that neither – nor their Pokémon – had had lunch. They went about rectifying that problem with impressive efficiency.

Feeding one's Pokémon always came before feeding oneself, Brock had once told Ash, and it was advice that he still followed. Totodile dug in almost before Ash had removed his hand from the bowl, then proceeded to reward the raven-haired trainer with an affectionate nip for his trouble. Ash's other Pokémon were a little more conservative in their displays of gratitude.

Ash then observed Cynthia feeding her Pokémon, a ritual that never ceased to impress him.

Each of her Pokemon had their own little preferences and habits. Spiritomb refused to eat unless Cynthia threw berries up for it to catch. Braviary was partial to one flavour of Pokémon food over all of the others – a flavour which all of Cynthia's other Pokémon _reviled._ Garchomp was the least fussy of her six; she ate what she was given.

"What kind of Pokéblock is that?" He asked, curiously eyeing the violet treat in her hand as she carefully fed them to a purring Glaceon. Come to think of it, it didn't look too far away from the disaster that had been_ May's Purple Surprise_…

"It's a special recipe." Cynthia replied, stroking Glaceon as she reached for more. "My Grandma taught me it when I was little; you met her back in Sinnoh. I've got a few like it."

"Oh, yeah." He caught sight of what she was withdrawing the Pokéblock from, and frowned, intrigued. "What's with the pouch?"

"What about it?"

"It looks pretty… unique."

"Good or bad unique?" She smirked.

"Well, all right, interesting." Ash fumbled, mentally cursing her ability to pick apart sentences.

Cynthia laughed. She moved over to Roserade and Gastrodon, handing them a few fragments of viridian Pokéblock.

"Someone made it for me when I was little." She said, looking a little wistful. "A long time ago."

"Your grandma?"

"Nope. Anyway," She moved the conversation on; just quickly enough for Ash to recognise that she wasn't too keen to be talking about whatever the conversation had brought up right now. "We've got something we need to talk about, and I think you already know what it is."

"Uh, I do?" He said, startled.

Cynthia gave him a sympathetic, almost pitying smile.

"It's about Hilda and May." She said gently.

"Oh, right." This didn't really ease his confusion. "What about them?"

Pikachu gave Ash an annoyed jolt; not painful, just mildly irritating, and shook his head at his trainers obliviousness, ears flopping everywhere.

"About how they behave when they're around you," She continued, a slight look of desperation on her face now as she tried to help him understand the situation - at least a little. "And how we might solve that problem."

"The fighting?" He frowned. "What's that got to do with me? I thought that was just them getting used to each other. I thought that they were over it now."

Pikachu snickered again, and Ash was beginning to feel like he was the butt of a joke that everyone else in the room could see. It was his turn to hope the conversation would take a different turn – and soon.

_That cable car's taking a while._ He inwardly grumbled. _We must've just missed it._

Cynthia looked like she wanted to go on, but suddenly thought better of it.

"You're probably right." She said, though the way it came out sounded to Ash as if she thought the opposite. He tried another topic.

"Do you think he'll be up here?" It was a question that all four had been thinking on the drive north, but none had given voice to it. Cynthia didn't respond right away, thinking her answer over.

"If I were speaking frankly, and on a mathematical basis?" She said slowly and carefully, sounding out what she said. "No, I don't. We've got a lot of ground to cover. He might even be in the desert, or we might have had it completely wrong in coming north in the first place, even if our reasoning suggests it as the most likely place that he might have been taken – or got lost - if he wasn't found in the area near to Mauville City."

"Yeah." Ash watched Pikachu scurry over to calm down Totodile, who was exciting himself by running around Cynthia's amused Garchomp.

"But we will find him." She added, an edge to her delivery, a steely glint to her already grey eyes.

Ash felt a little more hopeful seeing her determination. He could only hope that she was right.

* * *

At first, Hilda and May operated under a joint, unspoken agreement of silence as they walked to the cave. May had never come this way before, but the route was intuitive enough that they had no trouble quickly finding it. They had come to much the same conclusion as Ash and Cynthia upon reaching the entrance to the cave, and so dug into their supplies, keeping mostly to themselves after splitting them evenly.

The roof of the mouth of the cave was covered with ash, and they had to watch their step to avoid upwards rock formations as they advanced. As they resumed walking into the cave, they were both beginning to hope that if they could just get through this in silence, there would be little embarrassment to follow, and-

"OW!"

"Hey, watch it!"

"That was your fault!"

Or maybe not.

"How was it my fault that you tripped over something that I _easily _avoided?" Hilda snapped at the coordinator as they both stumbled to her feet. May had gone down over an unexpected chunk of rock at the entrance, and once again had taken Hilda with her.

"You didn't warn me it was there!"

"Oh, do I have to point out every little obstacle in the way? Watch out, hon, there's a _pebble _there."

"You know what I mean!"

"No, I don't."

"Well, you should! It's not my problem if you don't conduct yourself with basic etiquette!" May pouted, turning away.

"Well, evidently it is your problem." Hilda flashed back. "You were the one who tripped, after all."

May snarled at her but finally dropped the argument and, taking a deep breath, started walking further into the cave. The champion paused, shaking her head in exasperation, before following her.

They had only continued on for another few feet before it suddenly became _drastically _too dark to see as the last light from outside was obscured by the overhang of the cave.

"Ow!" May came to a halt, nursing her knee after contact with a shard of rock out of the wall.

"Can't blame that one on my path finding, I'm behind you." Hilda said sweetly.

"Shut up, it's pitch black here." May groaned.

"I'll have Zee light it up. Zee, come on-"

"No!" May cried, grabbing her arm before she could toss the ball.

"What?"

"Feel the cave walls; you'll never fit Zekrom in here! It's too narrow a space!" The coordinator was right, and Hilda was quick to realise it.

"Got any electric-type Pokémon?"

"No. I guess I could use Blaziken, but-"

"Come on out, Gal!" There was a brief flash of light before the bug/electric dual-type emerged into the cave, then a moment of darkness before it began generating an illuminating charge at its feelers.

"Eeeek!" May recoiled in surprise, which proved to be a mistake as she slammed back into the cave wall behind her. "Aaargh!"

"Aww, scared of spiders?" Hilda happily reached up to stroke her Galvantula's back. It clicked appreciatively in response.

"N-n-no, you just s-surprised me, that's all! Again, some warning next time, please!"

"Whatever." Hilda brushed off the coordinator's indignation. "Let's move. Follow Gal."

May obeyed, fuming, and they walked in silence for a little longer. They moved deeper into the void ahead with every step at the slightest of declines, suggesting that they were gradually heading underground. At time, they had to fall into single file; at others, it was possible to go two abreast.

"I hate caves." May said five minutes later, apparently apropos of nothing but their surroundings. "Too dark. Too damp. We could get lost in here forever."

"I hate people who whine. And we've only been in here five minutes. And it's been a _straight path_ all the way." Hilda said cheerfully, and May grimaced ahead of her.

"Why the cheap shots?" She asked, keeping her tone as level as possible. "What did I do to you?"

"Well, I just don't particularly like you."

May hadn't expected any different answer, and yet it still hurt – for some reason - to hear. She felt like she didn't like _that _much about the brunette champion; her arrogance was frustrating, it annoyed her how Hilda always edged closer to Ash as they travelled, and to be very honest, May could see some parallels with herself, especially regarding their tempers. Equally, however, that didn't mean that she didn't _not like_ her.

"Why?" She asked, biting her lip.

"Ash." Hilda said, and left it at that.

"What about him?" May asked, surprised enough to nearly walk into another cutting. She'd expected something about being a coordinator instead of a battler.

"I like him." Hilda could be very blunt, it seemed.

"Oh… Kay, fine…" This confession was hardly news for May, and it really only confirmed her suspicions; she'd been able to work it out not long after they had met. "I don't really see how that relates to me, though."

"Really?" Hilda sounded surprised - not that May could see her face to confirm it as she kept her eyes firmly on avoiding the natural, static obstructions to their progress. "Well, uh, never mind all that, then. Never mind."

* * *

Ash hadn't believed that it was possible for anyone to be able to spend ten minutes debating whether or not to buy a cookie before, but Cynthia was apparently very much capable of doing so.

"Sorry, Ash, but it was an important decision." They were sat on a bench outside the upper level cable station, waiting for the car to ascend once more to pick them after what had been an entirely fruitless search. "Plus, I had to be sure that I could afford to get you one as well."

"They _are_ amazing." He admitted, taking a bite, then lowering the confection back to his lap for Pikachu's sake.

The ride up the side of the mountain had been quick – ten minutes - but boring. They had asked the attendant if he had seen anyone suspicious in the area in the last few days; he said that he hadn't, but he also was not the only worker for the transport – and so, to be sure, they had needed to check.

It quickly became apparent that there was nowhere on the accessible part of the upper level for anyone to hide; it was far too flat for subterfuge. They hiked up to the peak where the slightest hint of lava could be seen, and even checked the site of an old Team Magma base that Cynthia remembered Wallace once mentioning, but found nothing. They trudged back down to the station, immediately realising that they would once again have to wait for it to return.

The only person they did find, in fact, was an old lady selling lava cookies. Given that they now had time to kill, Cynthia hadn't felt too bad using some of it to consider purchasing a treat.

"I really can't imagine how June must feel." Ash said, his thoughts returning to their current problem again. "I was thinking earlier…" Cynthia motioned for him to continue when he paused. "Well, I was wondering if that's kinda how mom must feel when I'm gone so long, wondering if I'm all right. Especially with all this about Plasma, and me getting involved, I could tell she wasn't that happy about me going off again so soon."

"You speak to Professor Oak quite often, don't you?" She asked.

"I guess so, yeah."

"Then she'll hear about you all the time. Don't worry about that." She reassured him.

"I suppose. Still, I'm going to call more often." He vowed, and Cynthia nodded.

"Can't hurt." She winked, finishing her cookie.

It wasn't too warm, even so close to the peak; they had a nice, cool breeze blowing in from the south, even if the environment and air was a little oppressive.

"How about you, if you don't mind me asking?" Ash felt like he ought to find out a little more; he didn't know as much about this friend as he did most of his others

"Gran knows what's it's like." She replied, chewing on a few remnants of the cookie, then smiled at a memory. "She always yells at me about something or the other when I get back, but she never stops smiling."

He nodded, entirely understanding.

The cable car arrived, and they went back down the mountain.

* * *

"Maybe we should turn back, we've been down here twenty minutes, we really could get lost."

"We haven't diverged once, this cave goes on for miles." Hilda said. "Come on, five more minutes."

May nodded her assent, and the two kept walking, Galvantula lighting the way.

"Can I ask you a question?" May struck up a minute later.

"Depends on the question."

"Why Ash?"

"What d'ya mean?"

"The two of you had never met before, and there are plenty of famous Pokémon trainers in tournaments on TV out there. Why Ash in particular?"

May waited so long for the answer that she had begun to assume that it wasn't coming.

"His was the first Pokémon battle I saw on screen." Hilda said at last. "He knocked out a trainer just with his Kingler after it evolved mid-battle. First round, Indigo League. I was so gutted when he lost that tournament, and I've rooted for him ever since. He's kinda like my idol, and it helps that we're the same age. Makes it seem more real. Plus, my dad had… connections. I've heard about some of the stuff Ash has done in the past, like saving the world from uncontrollable weather in the Orange Archipelago… He's a hero."

May couldn't disagree with the last part, but recognised the way Hilda was talking in the way some of her love-struck friends had talked back in school before she had started her own journey.

"Here's one for you, then." Hilda said after another minute of nothingness. "Why contests?"

"I tried to be a battler, once." May replied. "I was never any good, and not long after I started travelling with Ash, Brock and Max we heard about contests. I liked the sound of that, so I tried it, and enjoyed it. I got pretty good, too."

"You're not half bad at battling now." Hilda grunted as she turned sideways to avoid a protrusion that May had indicated to her. "From what I saw yesterday."

"Heh. Thanks."

It was an awkward few minutes indeed, but at least they now had things to talk about instead of just snapping each other. Neither by this point expected to find anything in the cave.

"You start your journeys at fifteen in Unova?"

May was curious at the difference in customs between the regions. She couldn't imagine starting later than ten.

"Yeah. It's pretty annoying. They make us stay at home or do some kind of schooling for five more years, so I just started helping out with mom's shop."

"What's Unova like?" _Might be worth visiting, someday…_

"It's different from Hoenn and, from the other regions, or so I've been told. It's very urban, lots of big buildings, but there's still a fair bit of countryside if you know where to look. There are mountains like this in the north-east and around Victory Road, but they don't get as tall as this one. There's - wait, what's up, Gal?" Hilda stopped suddenly, holding May back with a hand on her shoulder and pointing at her Pokémon, who was not moving a muscle, poised as if to listen. It motioned with a feeler ahead, and shut off its spark.

The light didn't go out. Which meant…

There was light up ahead. Straining, the two could even hear voices.

"Jackpot." Hilda whispered, thanking Galvantula and returning it to its Poké ball. The two moved up carefully and peered around a bend in the cave.

There was a small, hollowed out room, dimly lit by several electric lights. A table and a few chairs filled much of it, but what really drew the eye was the large, unusual piece of machinery at the back of the room that seemed to be humming with energy.

More importantly, though, were the people in the room. A man and a woman, both dressed in a black uniform identical to the ones worn by the guards in the Rustboro tunnel, stood next to the table. Sitting at it, and handcuffed to it was a small, scared and intimidated-looking boy who couldn't have been more than ten years old.

"Plasma?" May asked.

"The Plasma I thought at the Unova league had white uniforms." Hilda noted doubtfully.

"The ones in the tunnel had dark."

"They did? I was too busy beating them up to notice."

The male guard spoke, causing Hilda and May to jump back around the corner.

"I'm heading back to check in." He said. "Keep your eye on him."

"Who's going to come down here?" The female guard retorted, sounding extremely bored.

"We don't want another Rustboro." The first said simply. There was a flash of light, and when the two glanced back around the corner, he was gone.

"Betcha that machine at the back is a teleporter."Hilda whispered. "We'd better be quick when she's not looking."

"I've got her." May said firmly. "Beautifuly, on stage! And quietly!"

Beautifly fluttered in the gloom, scaled wings catching what illumination they could and sparkling from it.

"I need you to move ahead and Stun Spore that guard." May said. Beautifly complied; seconds later, there was a soft sigh of surprise. Looking out, the two trainers saw that the guard had been paralyzed before she had been able to move to get help. "Nicely done! Return!"

The boy at the table looked at them, alarmed, as they approached. He looked close to tears.

"Wh-who are you? Please, I want to go home." He begged.

"It's all right, sweetie, we're here to help." May kneeled down and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"No key for the handcuffs." Hilda noted having checked the guard's pockets and belt. "The other must have it. No time to waste, he could be back any moment.

"Blaziken, cut off this cuff!" May summoned her starter, who made quick work of the shoddy iron restraint. "What's your name, sweetie?" She asked the boy soothingly, trying to calm him down.

"M-M-Mikey." He stuttered.

"We're getting you out of here, Mikey."

"Come on, let's go, let's-" Hilda said impatiently, eyes on the teleporter.

They had lingered too long.

It burst into life, briefly stunning the girls with its brilliance before revealing the returning male guard.

"Intruders!" He bellowed, and dived back into the still-open portal.

Now they had a problem.

* * *

"_And would you care to explain why your satchel is radiating an aura of unstable energy?"_

_**- Search Warrant, Return to Ravnica**_


	20. Rescue

Obligatory Disclaimer; I don't own Pokémon.

Whoops, I did it again. Same reasons as last time, unfortunately, so I'm not going to promise anything this time and we'll just see how it goes. Not so much writer's block as literally not properly allocating my time appropriately to write this story.

I've swapped the order for chapters 20 and 21 around, so this will focus on A/C/H/M – as well as an additional, novel perspective on their activities, with 21 involving something completely different. It made more sense to carry on after a cliff-hanger than put a wedge in between the two parts.

Thanks for the review J.F.C.! I wouldn't say that they've completely buried the hatchet yet, but you're right that they won't be biting each other's heads off quite as much.

Thanks also go to dzk87, Lord Kaizer and the guests for your reviews as well.

In terms of chronology, this chapter (twenty) follows on immediately from chapter nineteen.

* * *

"My lord, I have failed you."

Those were words that Ghetsis never enjoyed hearing, not just because of the obvious negative implications. It also meant that whoever was speaking to him would be about to launch into a tirade of self-pity.

He sighed, taking the opportunity to adjust his position on his new, uncomfortable throne as he regarded the prostrate figure in front of him, who was decked out in his organisation's new black and grey attire, with only a silver bar across a slide on their chest denoting their rank. The door they had just come through was flanked by two guards standing at rigid attention – a position they had held for nearly three hours. Mirroring them, two others lurked unseen on either side of his throne.

It was also far too warm in the room for his liking, but they had, after all, only just moved into this new base. Little more than critical systems had thus far been established, and he had yet to conceive of a way to push his grunts harder.

_Useless, all of them._

"Report, then, Commander Theta, and stand at ease. What has happened?"

'Theta' sagged slightly out of their fixed kneeling, and then clambered up on her feet. Short, dark bangs hung out from her well-moulded beret, framing her face amidst her amber eyes, which stood out above a pair of recent, newly etched scars.

'Theta' was not her name, but a code word of sorts, a masquerade and yet also an identifier for any clued-in Plasma operative. She was the most junior of all of Ghetsis' commanders.

He held little more respect for any of them than he did for the lowliest of grunts. All were his to command, and their dreams and desires mattered little to him.

"Well, my lord, you will recall that I was assigned to act as interim Commander at our temporary command base in Hoenn after the Primaris Tunnel's destruction less than a week-"

"Yes. Cut to the chase." He diverted his gaze from the still-trembling Theta to casually examine his right hand. It was a calculated gesture, not merely one of boredom, and he could see from the way that she gulped and hastened to continue that it had had its intended effect.

"Well, my lord, w-we have experienced a terrible setback. Our secondary base was also discovered this morning. We were forced to abandon it and flee."

"And this means?" He asked, a cold edge now stretching his voice, and he saw the guards at the far door wince in sympathy. He knew the answer, and she knew he knew.

"Our operations in Hoenn are over." She whispered.

"Yes, they are." He growled. Theta fell limp to the floor fearfully again. "Now tell me how this happened, and be quick about it, for your rank and station are in flux. Yes… Tell me everything."

* * *

(4 Hours earlier)

"Run faster!"

"I'm running as fast as I can!"

"Not fast enough!

"Shut up!"

May and Hilda roared at each other as they sprinted back up the way they had come, the aggression fuelling their retreat.

They had sent Mikey running up the tunnel quick as a flash, realising that they had seconds at most. The kid seemed to be fast, fortunately. Hilda's Galvantula lit his way.

The two girls left the chamber just as the first Plasma reinforcements came through the teleporter and managed to catch a glimpse of Hilda's hair disappearing around the corner.

"Get them!" They heard the shout and so the chase began.

The path they had followed down was linear and there was no opportunity for a wrong turn, but it was an ascent on a difficult incline. Galvantula knew the way and had no problems clambering up, but the chased and the chasers were impeded by jutting stone.

Where before they had had the luxuries of time and caution, now they scrambled up and above, cutting, scraping and bumping their skin against the rock.

The voices behind them were increasing in volume.

"We need to slow them down!"

"Glaceon, take the stage!" The ice-type appeared behind them as May called upon it. "Freeze up the passage behind us!" Glaceon complied, forming an ice wall to cover their retreat with its icy breath.

""Take the stage?""

"Shut up." May grunted as she recalled Glaceon. Hilda smirked.

They heard more shouting, further muffled this time, before there was the sound of a blast and an updraft of warm air below them.

"They've got fire Pokémon." Hilda muttered and the two redoubled their efforts towards exiting the cave.

* * *

"So they found the antechamber, but did not breach the main complex?" It was a simple question.

"Yes, my lord, but-"

"And you followed them out of the cave, along a path that was by design unsafe, allowing them to dictate the terms of their retreat? Explain yourself." Ghetsis demanded, giving Theta no chance to adequately respond to his first point. She flinched at the reproach in his voice. If her leader noticed the fear in her eyes, he did not acknowledge it.

"Partly, my lord. We-"

"Then how can your failure come as a surprise?" Ghetsis roared, standing up from his throne, spittle flying everywhere. Theta could sink no lower on the floor.

"P-p-Please, my lord-"

Ghetsis was about to order the guards to remove the commander from his chambers in disgrace when his eye caught on a slight glint in the shadows.

Few others would have caught it, but his time with the Shadow Triad had granted him an impressive capacity to recognise their presence where few others humans were able to.

They were his sons, now, more than the traitorous N ever could be again.

He paused, and calmed slightly, then lowered himself back into his throne.

"Continue, commander."

Theta took a few moments to compose herself before resuming her account.

"I sent some of my command to chase the intruders, my lord, but that was not my only tactic in my plan for our pursuit."

* * *

They climbed and climbed and climbed, desperately seeking even the faintest hint of sunlight. It had taken the two girls nearly half an hour to reach the inner chamber on the way down, but they had not been hurrying in that direction, and made good time even on their inclined ascent.

Hilda kept up a barrage of insults towards her fellow brunette, but even May could feel the effect of the resulting heightened adrenaline, and responded in kind. There was no malice from either, only mutual desperation.

Once, a grunt managed to actually catch up with the fleeing group and reached out a hand to haul May back. She rewarded him with a well-aimed kick, bowling him back into his fellows and buying the group much needed time.

Three quarters of the way up, Mikey tripped over and found himself unable to get up again, exhausted from the exertion, having hardly been able to move at all in the past few days. Hilda and May had no time – they had no option but to scoop the youngster up and drag him with them.

"Oof… Can't we… get… Blaziken to carry him?" Five minutes later, the two found carrying him to be almost impossible, particularly given how much he was shaking in fear.

"No… room." The cave roof was still too low to effect such a plan, and there was no time to think – Plasma was almost upon them. A minute later, they were almost ready to give up, to stand and fight somehow, but…"

"Light!" Hilda heaved, sparing a hand to point ahead to the faint glow. The two put on a last spurt as they emerged from the cave to be greeted by Galvantula, like runners finishing an extended race. They staggered away from the cave mouth, panting as they moved into the clearing, breathing deeply the ashen air and basking in the warmth of the sun.

They didn't have much chance to relax.

Shapes and shadows began to flit across mouth of the cave, silhouetted by the sun.

"We need to move, we need to get into cover! The trees-" Hilda gasped, clutching her chest and pointing down the plateau.

"-won't help you at all." Another female voice cut across her, and to both girls' horror they saw more shapes emerging from where Hilda had been pointing.

More shapes clad in black and grey, wearing berets and hefting Poké balls moved to confront and surround the three and Galvantula.

At the same time, their pursuers finally advanced out of the cave, light ash settling on their clothing as they were exposed to the air. Together, the two groups of Plasma operatives formed a ring around their prey, tightening it as they took slow steps forward.

"Gotta be kidding me." Hilda wheezed, taking the opportunity – with little else to do – to bend down and catch her breath. The ring stopped away from the three, giving them a circle radius two metres to stand in.

Hilda and May stood back to back, Galvantula to one side against its trainer's leg. Mikey clutched the floor, eyes wide.

"You're coming with us." The same female voice from before called out again, drawing their attention to one of the Plasma operatives on the forest half of the ring. Dark hair, eyes near to the colour of copper, thin, new scars beneath them.

"You're in charge? Who are you?" Hilda enquired.

"Theta. You've earned that much, I suppose." The champion began to get the feeling – from this very brief contact – that their enemy was not merely angry with them for their actions here – the way that she glared at Hilda gave her the feeling that Theta was holding a grudge for some reason. She couldn't guess why. "And I'm sure you've already worked out who_ we_ are,_ champion_."

Ignoring the voice dripping with contempt and the chuckles from the outer ring of grunts, Hilda shrugged.

"Yeah, I know Plasma when I see them. I preferred the old uniforms, though. White was more your colour."

"_Shame_." Theta half-purred, half-growled as the ring began to circle at a hand gesture, an effective intimidation tactic. She was clearly enjoying the feeling of holding her quarry in a well-executed trap. "And you?" She turned to May, disregarding the prone Mikey entirely. "Freedom seems to have treated you well. You look better than you did in that tunnel, anyway."

May's eyes widened.

"I shouldn't be surprised that you did all that." Her voice rose over the now-openly laughing grunts. "You seem like a really nasty piece of work."

"Maybe." It was Theta's turn to shrug. "But I'm on the winning team." More laughs and catcalls. The circle advanced a step.

"How's your organisation without N, then?" Hilda interjected as the Plasma commander opened her mouth to speak again. "Bit directionless?"

They could tell from the sudden silence that Hilda had hit a raw nerve there.

"We serve Ghetsis now." A man on the cave side of the ring spat – the same man who had first spotted them in the hidden chamber below. "He commands us, and we will take no orders from a fool like N." May noticed Theta shifting a little at this swift, harsh declaration, conflict in her eyes, but the coordinator blinked, and it was gone.

"Fool? He practically _defected_." Hilda mocked. There was no laughter now. More grim silence.

"Enough." Theta spoke again. "As I said, you're coming with us. No choice."

"There's always a choice." The sincerity in Hilda's words was as clear as the fire in her voice, a steely determination in her eyes. "And you all made the wrong one."

"Yeah!" May rallied alongside her. "We're not letting you take Mikey again, and you can't have us either!"

"Now that, you really don't have a choice in." The man from before cracked his knuckles as he spoke, drawing out a Poké ball. All of the circle now had said devices at the ready

"Wrong again." Hilda smirked. "You let us get outside. You'll pay for that mistake." She took hefted a Poké ball in one hand, a ball that seemed to emit an aura of righteous anger. "Zee, come on out!"

* * *

"You knew in advance that the Champion of Unova could call upon Zekrom?" Another direct question.

"Yes, my lord. I witnessed her use it to defeat Lord N, and I was amongst the wounded after the battle of the Primaris Tunnel." Theta said. Ghetsis knew that already, but wanted to make sure that she was sound. He chose not to pick up on her outdated use of address for his wayward adopted son, an action which his guards probably had suspected he would pursue. Theta had joined up under N, he had been the one to personally recruit her, a recent university graduate with an uncertain future. Plasma – N – had given her focus, a purpose, an outlet. It was understandable that she would still respect the traitor.

He would remain calm. He would hear her out.

"And yet you allowed her to get into an open space where the dragon would be able to use its abilities most effiectively?"

"Yes, my lord." Theta looked uncomfortable again, but not, Ghetsis could tell, because she regretted that action.

"Why?"

"Because…" There was clear reluctance etched into her manner now. "Because we exploited their most obvious weakness. They were unable to bring Zekrom's powers to bear."

* * *

"Wait!"

"What?" Hilda looked at the man as if he were mad, pausing at the last moment in the action of throwing Zekrom's ball.

"You don't want to do that."

"Oh? I think I do." She went to resume her action, but he cut in fast.

"Think about it. Look down at your feet and see the snivelling whelp there." Mikey shook again at the man's venomous words, somehow turning an even paler shade of white. "You use Zekrom, there's a lot of sparks, energy flying everywhere. There's the attacks of _our_ Pokémon." His voice adopted a fake, sneering concern that contained an obvious threat. "Consider what might happen, champion."

Theta looked at her ally, alarmed at the direction he was taking them down, but said nothing_. This wasn't the plan. I'm in command here. I shouldn't allow this. I shouldn't…_ She looked around at the other men and woman in the circle, but saw nothing but blank stares. Emotionless, uncaring faces.

"You wouldn't! You couldn't!" May balked, outraged.

"Didn't think you could sink lower, Plasma." Hilda said softly. "Guess I was wrong."

Theta gestured discreetly. The circle took a step forward again as one. Hilda raised the ball containing Zekrom higher in response, but everyone could see the private war going on in her mind.

Neither Hilda nor May wanted to risk Mikey's safety, even if it ultimately meant the loss of their freedom. They could image the despair on his mother's face magnified a thousand times if they were to be forced to bring back his unmoving body.

Theta wasn't sure she wanted to risk his safety either.

* * *

"So your unit moved up to threaten the child?"

"…Yes, my lord."

"An effective strategy." Ghetsis commented. "Have this man who proposed it commended, commander. It takes great initiative and willpower to threaten such."

"Yes, my lord." She said quietly.

There was silence for a moment as Ghetsis pondered what he had been told.

"What you have told me thus far puts you in a strong position, commander. How did you throw this away?"

"We were caught unaware, my lord. The foe seemed weaker than they actually were."

"Two conflicted trainers, a child and a single active Pokémon defeated all of you?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No, my lord. Not two trainers. Four."

* * *

"End this. Now. Before anyone gets hurt." Theta injected a note of genuine pleading into her voice as she addressed May. It was easier than talking to Hilda; the champion's visage still made the commander's blood boil.

The circle took another step forward, now barely a meter from their foe.

"What are you even doing kidnapping people, anyway?" Hilda lowered the Poké ball and glowered at Theta. "Kidnapping Pokémon and "freeing them" from their trainers, I can see how that would work from an utterly deranged point of view…"

"But this makes absolutely no sense along those lines." May finished for her.

"Obviously we can't just discuss our plans with you." Theta pointed out.

"Ghetsis did last time when I beat him." Hilda noted. "Arrogant little b-"

"As for what we're doing… You'll see for yourselves soon enough."

Hilda glared at the man, but something flying high in the sky above him caught her vision. She studied it carefully for a moment before a smug smile returned to her face.

"No, we won't."

"Misplaced confidence isn't going to help you now. Accept the futility of your situation and come quietly."

"No."

"What?"

"No. Our situation isn't hopeless." As encouraged as May was by Hilda's sudden confidence, she was still confused as to its source. Even Mikey stopped shaking as he realised how relaxed she appeared.

"You're outnumbered, surrounded on all sides. Your use of Pokémon is restricted, you've nowhere to run. What chance do you have? Why are you so confident?"

Hilda smiled, stretching her free arm out towards the ridge overlooking the plateau adjacent to the trees.

"That's why."

Ash stood there, Pikachu on one shoulder, Staraptor on the other, eyes front, anger on his face. Cynthia matched his expression, staring down at the situation below.

* * *

"Ash Ketchum and Cynthia, champion of Sinnoh." Ghetsis mused. "It seems the rumours were true. The intelligence you have gathered from this operation will be extremely useful, a failed enterprise it may have been. Expect to be fully debriefed on what you saw of their Pokémon and their capabilities once we are finished here."

"Yes, my lord." It was standard procedure, but doubly important here.

"So, they had a temporary tactical advantage; unexpected reinforcements. But the battle was not lost there. Tell me the rest, commander."

"My lord?" Theta was confused at the request for an explanation of something so mundane as a battle. "You wish to hear of the fight itself?"

"Oh, yes, commander." His eyes glinted, his expression dark. "As I said, tell me everything. Only then will I decide your fate."

There were a number of words that could be used to describe the battle that followed.

"Massacre" was one."

"Rout" was another.

Cynthia unleashed Garchomp immediately as Pikachu leapt onto Staraptor's back and the two entered the fray. The airborne assault crashed into the exposed flank of the ring, the Plasma grunts barely having the chance to bring out their own Pokémon in defence. The wall – as little of one as it actually resembled – was down in less than a minute.

Hilda and May used the confusion to call upon Reuniclus and Blaziken, the two forging a path alongside Galvantula along which the trainers hurried Mikey to safety. Ash and Cynthia slid down the ridge to meet them.

"Heya guys!"

"Perfect timing!" Hilda jumped and tackled Ash to the ground, enveloping him in an awkward hug.

"Heh… What happened to you two? Are you both all right?" Ash noticed the cuts and bruises plastering the girls' skin first. May shrugged.

Cynthia sighed. Mikey looked confused.

"Will you cut it out?" May scowled at Hilda, pointing at the rallying Plasma agents. "We're kinda in the middle of something here!"

And rallying they were, Theta scurrying around to restore order as the group collectively summoned their Pokémon. Various Trubbish, Patrat, Magnetite and Purrloin appeared, with the odd Scraggy and even a lone Houndour. For her part, Theta brought out an Umbreon with a glossy midnight coat.

Without further hesitation, Plasma's forces threw themselves at the defenders surrounding Mikey.

Cynthia called upon Spiritomb once more just before the battle was joined.

The fight conjured up a massive dust cloud obscuring the area, obscuring the vicious melee going on inside as Cynthia and May shielded Mikey from further harm. By the time the dust cloud dispersed, Team Plasma was recalling its Pokémon and fleeing the scene down into the cave and the hidden chamber.

Theta spared one last hostile glanced at Hilda, cradling her wounded Umbreon in her arms as she disappeared into the waiting darkness.

The group took a moment to breathe as an eerie silence descended on the area that had moments before been filled with the cacophony of battle.

"So, uh… You going to tell us what happened down there?" Ash asked the two girls as Cynthia fussed over Mikey.

They smiled.

"It's a long story…"

* * *

"So you retreated into the cave and effected the emergency Scorched Earth policies?"

"Yes, my lord."

He couldn't really complain. He had ordered their creation himself, after all.

The teleport links to the remote island complex from the mountain cave chamber would have been severed, all evidence destroyed and the cave sealed from the inside.

For good measure, the island itself would have been set to self-destruct upon the evacuation of the last personnel, just in case there was the slightest risk of a teleport trace.

Plasma's operations in Hoenn really were over and done.

"I see." He said finally, and lapsed into thought.

Theta was aware that her entire career; her hopes, her dreams, her vengeance – lay in the balance. Ghetsis sat in silence for a good five minutes, mulling the issue over.

_She has failed us, and that is reason enough to imprison her, let alone strip her of rank._

_Give her the chance and her vengeance will prove supremely useful to us._

_Up until she fails again._

_Even in this failure we learned vital things about our foe._

_We could have found out elsewhere._

_Hoenn was merely a diversion, anyway…_

He closed his eyes, then opened them again, his decision made.

"Commander Theta, your failure in this matter is unfortunate, but you will have the opportunity to redeem yourself in the future. Submit yourself to the debriefing process, then return to your men and women and prepare them for their forthcoming posting. You will be given more details shortly."

Her face glowed.

"Thank you, my lord!" She paid the proper respect one last time and hurried from the room.

Ghetsis's mind went inward once more as she departed, his thoughts turning – as ever – to the future.

Theta would need watching. She was an idealist, too naïve. She could be useful, but she was also tied strongly to the old Team Plasma. The old order that had died in the ruins of the Pokémon League and had been reforged into his blade.

She – no, n_othing_ – would be allowed to disrupt the future.

The future of the world. _His_ future. Fates intertwined.

_All starting with Unova._

* * *

Ash sat in the back of the car as they sped down to Mauville once more, sandwiched between Hilda and May. The two were cleaning and sticking plasters on their injuries while recounting their trek through the cave in increasingly grandiose terms. Mikey was ecstatic at the opportunity of sitting in the front of such an "awesome car".

_And oh, the air conditioning…_

The walk back to the car had been quick and uneventful, expedient primarily for the fact that the adrenaline the two girls had been running on was diminishing, and both had begun to complain about the pain of their – admittedly many – cuts and scratches.

Ash was glad to see they had both come out okay, and all were in a jubilant mood at being able to bring the once lost kid in the front seat home.

Mikey had been extremely quiet during their daring escape from the cave and the subsequent battle, but now they found that he could hardly stop talking, always asking questions. He particularly focused on what he had seen of the group's Pokémon in the battle.

"And Garchomp was sooooo cool just flying everywhere dashing in and out, and I've never even heard of Galvantula before! Or Spiritomb! What type is Spiritomb, anyway?"

"Ghost/Dark." Cynthia answered cheerfully, keeping her eyes on the dirt path that functioned as a road.

"Woah…"

"Wish I could've shown him Zee…" Hilda grinned.

"Your little Sparky's got nothing on Blaziken."

"Never call Zee that again." Hilda pouted.

May winked at her.

Less than half an hour later they were standing outside Mikey's house as he knocked on the door and was reunited with his mother. There were tears again, but of joy, this time, not sadness.

She didn't know how she'd ever be able to repay them. She invited them in for tea, which they graciously accepted.

An hour and a half later, they emerged with bellies full and spirits heartened by the good cheer that they had been able to return to the house.

* * *

Later, they were sitting in the Pokémon centre by the phones once again. Cynthia had returned the keys to the borrowed car and pointedly reclaimed her own.

They had seen Wattson on the way back, and he was delighted to hear of Mikey's safe return.

They agreed on a late dinner, but first began to discuss Plasma.

"A hidden base under the mountain. Bet no-one ever thought to check it out. I wonder how they made it…"

"Is it worth telling the league, having them clear it out?" Ash suggested. Cynthia considered it, but shook her head.

"Probably not. We can tell them, but I bet they've already destroyed anything useful like they did in Rustboro."

"True."

"We never got an answer as to what they were doing here in Hoenn kidnapping people." Hilda brought up.

"Did you expect one?"

"Well… It's just, this isn't Plasma's style. They're about Pokémon, not people. It doesn't fit with how they've acted in the past."

"Guess that means they've just changed how they work."

"For the worse."

They could all agree on that.

"How about that commander, though, that woman?" May recalled, addressing Hilda. "She really seemed to hate you. What did you ever do to her?"

"Dunno. Guess I did take down the_ Old_ Team Plasma."

"You also attacked them in the tunnel when you rescued us, and you said that she said that she had been there when May was there." Cynthia pointed out.

"Those scars did look pretty new…" Hilda stared silently at Zekrom's Poké ball, and no more on that matter was said.

"So, where next?" Ash said, changing the subject.

"I think I was wrong, Hilda was right. We should go see the Wallace and let him know." Cynthia said. "If we're unsure where Plasma is next it's better to consolidate information."

"Back south, then?"

"Not quite. Bit more interesting than that." Cynthia grinned. "Wallace is touring the region again, and his next stop takes him to a nice little seaside city. You'll love it. The ice cream's to die for."

Lilycove City, it transpired, was world famous. Hilda had heard of it all the way from Unova, and was thrilled at the prospect of their imminent trip east.

She couldn't stop talking about it during dinner, in fact. About the amazing store, the inspiring art gallery, the fabulous beach…

"What kind of art do you make then, Hilda?" Ash kept the conversation going, aiming for a gap in which Hilda was pausing for breath and to wolf down the last of her food.

"I edit movies and videos, mostly." _Not the traditional kind of art, then_. "Got a great big stack of files with your name on them back home, in fact, all from your league battles. I've made a lot of music videos out of those, let me tell you…"

"Heh, uh, cool, I think…"

"How about you, May? Do you do anything artistic?" Cynthia pulled May and herself onto the topic at hand, too.

"Well, I guess you could consider contest planning as an art, given how much creativity you need for all the combinations…"

"And you're really good at it, too." Ash offered, and May smiled.

"I've always enjoyed writing, personally. I guess it fits with my interests in myths and the like. I'm not that good at it, but I don't find it that hard to be creative. Not like Cameron."

"Oh?"

"Mhmm. I've never seen a man with less artistically imagination in my life."

"Uh…" Cynthia seemed unusually open to discussion. Ash wondered if she'd surreptitiously had a few with dinner while the others weren't looking, but dismissed the thought.

"Don't get me wrong, he's brilliant at what he does. Give him a plan and he'll carry it out. Give him people to command and he'll get the job done. But there's no flair, there, no spark to start the chain. He has initiative, he can adapt to overcome bad situations, but he won't be the one starting the solution."

"Uh, good to know." It was a strange topic, and Ash was glad to be away from it when Hilda and May returned to bickering about the highlights of the battle of the cave. He thought no more of it for the rest of the day.

* * *

Later still, before bed, Ash decided to switch up his party once more. He bid farewell to his Pokémon, promising to bring them back soon, then returned them and opened up a link to Professor Oak.

Due to the time zone differences, where it was nearly midnight for Ash and the others, it was only late afternoon for those in Kanto.

"Ash, great to see you, my friend!" Oak beamed. "How goes the journey?"

"Pretty good, Professor." Ash gave him a concise version of the events of the previous few days, carefully omitting some of the details about his involvement with the Pokémon league, but including his meeting Hilda and reunification with May.

"Sounds like you're doing well, then. Would you like to swap out your Pokémon, I take it?"

Ash confirmed this, and listed his new selections.

Sceptile was definitely in this time. He always needed a powerhouse, and the grass-type fit the bill perfectly.

Corphish deserved a trip out.

Swellow was next up on the flyer rotation…

Quilava came next, and Heracross rounded off the team.

Oak had been forced to have Tracy pry Heracross off of Bulbasaur's back before sending it through. As usual.

"How are the others doing, professor?"

"Your Pokémon or your friends, Ash?"

"Both." He smiled.

"I haven't heard from your friends in a couple of days, but they decided to go on a tour of Kanto. A bit of a holiday, in fact."

"That's great to hear!"

"Yes, well, I'm sure they all deserve it. As for your Pokémon, they're all doing fine. Much happier, in fact, now that they know that you're rotating them regularly."

"I was hoping so." He smiled again. "I'll do it again in a few days. Thanks, professor."

They exchanged final pleasantries and Ash hung up the call.

* * *

Cynthia, Hilda and May crammed into one room once again for the night. Ash was alone.

"Always… wanted to… see Lilycove…" Hilda was first to go, muttering amidst snores and smiling into her pillow.

May drifted off next, exhausted by the day's events.

Cynthia, too, was pleased at the way things had all turned out. With little to dwell on, she too fell asleep.

* * *

_One more place to check out – and clean out, if necessary. One more scum-infested, dark pit of…_

He forced himself to calm down. It had been a very long two weeks; he needed a break; they all had. That's why he had sent the rest of the league agents on one, promising to finish the job himself.

He wondered how Ash and the others were doing, wondered how Hilda had managed to get herself sent over to Hoenn, of all places.

He kept the windows closed, un-adjustable roof obviously up. The rush of the cool, night air was Cynthia's enjoyment, not his.

Driving across Unova at night could either be nigh-on impossible if the stars were obscured in the sky, or made for a glorious sight if one was close to any of the major cities, few of which actually slept. He drove north-west up from Nimbasa, then north, then east, passing over two of Unova's famous bridges in the process. He passed unclaimed forests, over mountain paths, across cleanly-paved roads. He cut the engine and parked near the Opelucid City Pokémon centre, walked in and booked a room. His target lay due south, hidden amongst the trees, but he could wait a night. Rest up, and hit them hard.

_Rest up,_ Cameron thought, _And finish whatever it is Team Plasma is planning. For good._

* * *

"_I never thought I'd be so glad to see two tons of beak and claws bearing down on me at the speed of an arrow."_

Mirela, Azorious Hussar, **Dramatic Rescue, Return to Ravnica**


	21. Infiltration

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

QUICK WARNING - Scroll to the first page break if you want to start reading the story. My response to Jordinio's review goes on a while.

As I said last time, this chapter will focus neither on one of the two groups touring Hoenn/Kanto, but will instead focus on a few other characters that were left behind earlier in the story, and some who haven't been mentioned, leading on from the hint at the end of chapter 20…

On reviews; thanks again, J.F.C! You know me; I do love a good cliff hanger…

Thanks also Eclipse Wing and Agent of Fire, glad to see you've enjoyed it so far.

Sprinter; I thought Charizard's move selection was a bit confused too, but it's still good just to have him back on the show again. Thanks for the review.

Garm; I'll assume you mean just prologue 1 and not 2, but I can understand where you're coming on. It's not supposed to make sense yet, and I certainly don't intend to spell out the link too soon, but it will be relevant by the end of the story. Hope you've enjoyed the rest if you kept going, though.

And then we come to Jordinio. Working blue, huh?

As much as I doubt that you'll deign to read my responses to your criticisms, I'll reply anyway. You raise good points about Ash, although I'd say he performed quite well in chapters 8, 10-11 – even if it eventually fell to Iris to win for them in the latter – and more distinctly in chapter 20. I'll accept that he doesn't come off at his best in the earlier battles, which I intended to use for other purposes; to progress Iris and Dragonite's story and to do the same for Cynthia and Cameron. Ash kinda fell by the wayside at times in these, even as the story would return to his thoughts. Thanks for pointing this out, and I'll be sure to be more careful about depowering him – accidentally or not – in the future. Still, this is a journey, and there's plenty of time for him to have his moments.

And the fact that this is a journey explains my inclusion of "filler" like the Golduck chapter. Things don't just go from one major event to another on a journey – we don't just see Ash's gym battles in the show, for example. While I could have used – as I often do – the tried and true method of a few paragraphs of narration to explain them travelling all the way through the forest to the bridge, I chose to use the opportunity afforded by the distance they had to travel to develop or reinforce some of their characters, balance Cilan's roster with Iris' (given that he never received a fourth Pokémon as Iris did), reveal more of Cameron's party and introduce Braviary to Cynthia's. Did it have anything to do with the main plot, other than advance their position in the arc? Not really. But I still had a purpose for this "filler", whether you believe I succeeded at it or not.

On Dragonite, and on Charizard for that matter; as I said, I began this fanfic when Dragonite had been announced but before the episode aired. I had no idea what its full moveset aside from ThunderPunch and Flamethrower would be like, and chose not to rewrite it upon its actual reveal. Its use of ExtremeSpeed is consistent with that. Similarly, I had no idea that Charizard would be returning when I wrote the scenes at Oak's lab, and in particular did not expect it to be quite so easy for Ash to recall it from the Charific Valley. I might well have plans for Charizard to return later in the story, but that will now have nothing to do with the way the anime has panned out.

On Jigglypuff and Krokorok; looking back I can understand how it seems a tad unrealistic that a newly caught Jigglypuff could beat a well-trained Krokorok. Then again, Cilan was far more focused – and confident – in that fight than Ash, especially after Sing. Having a status move also gave Jigglypuff an advantage over the offense-oriented ground/dark-type. Food for thought either way, and I'll keep in mind your comments.

On Ash and Team Plasma; while Ash was travelling in Unova with the stone he was accompanied by a champion, an ex-champion and three of his friends. I'd call that fairly secure – and at the time of writing he hadn't demonstrated the inclination to put Pokémon from Kanto into his party in the anime as he later did with Charizard. Once in Kanto, he immediately gave the stone to Oak. He had no reason - from what Cameron had told him - to think that remnants of Plasma would be interested in him, merely the stone. As for N, my intention was to mirror the games with N's departure – that he had realised that he had been manipulated by Ghetsis and broke from the fold as a result, flying off on Reshiram. Cameron's explanation – second hand as it may be – leaves much to be desired there; I'm tempted to change it. If nothing else, chapter 20 confirms N's removal from Ghetsis's good graces.

Furthermore, surely it's more in character to assume that Ash isn't thinking quite that far ahead? Indeed, that's what I aimed to show with his thought processes in the earlier chapters, which I intend to revisit next time we're with A/C/H/M, and that he wants to try to change this after the near-disaster in the forest. Also in character, it's hardly like Ash to think about his some of his Pokémon being "elite" – they're all strong to him, and he promised them in chapter 9 that he would rotate them.

I don't want to take Ash out of what makes him who he is, as little as the anime goes into his fundamental character traits (his courage, compassion, drive and perseverance) but I want to getting him thinking more and maturing naturally. That's been my intention with his character.

On girls; as I've said, nothing about that is as clear as it seems. I'll be dropping hints for a while yet.

Lastly, I have to say that while I appreciate your comments, I don't appreciate the aggression with which you conveyed them. A little civility goes a long way, and swearing nearly every review for emphasis hardly makes your criticism more likely to have an effect. I also note that you say nothing about the technical aspect of my writing; such criticism can be helpful for future works outside the original. Still, I thank you for taking the time to comment, wasted though you feel your time to be.

That turned into a bit of an essay, didn't it?

Blooms; don't worry about it. While I don't agree with many of his criticisms, I agree that he has the right to say them – until they become insulting – and they've still been on the right side of the line so far.

This will be a bit of a long chapter, partly given the length of my responses to reviews.

Chronologically speaking, this chapter takes place across the same day as chapter 20.

* * *

_Unova_

"Bianca, I swear, if you go off the track once again I'm leaving you behind!"

"It's not my fault! I saw a wild Camerupt and just had to catch it!"

"But you didn't." Georgia noted. "And Camerupt don't even live around this part of Unova. Or any part of Unova!" _Well, as far as I know._

Bianca shifted on the spot, shrugging weakly. Georgia sighed deeply at her travelling companion's actions, staring down as the blonde resumed her climb.

_Only a few more hours 'til we're in the city. I'd feel bad about leaving her on the road, but she'll be fine there_.

Bianca had attached herself to Georgia just as the dragon buster had been leaving Icirrus City, and had insisted on accompanying her because she didn't want to "get lost on the road". Despite having supposedly completed the route before.

The blonde had finally managed to pull herself back up on to the wide path they were advancing across that made up Unova's Route Nine. It hadn't been a steep hill, but her backpack, and the distance that she had managed to tumble, had made Bianca's climb take some time.

After all, she hadn't run off the track when she saw the "Camerupt". She had turned and fallen, bouncing all the way down.

"Sorry about the wait!" Bianca beamed, straightening her skirt and brushing off the dust and dirt from the floor off her hands. Georgia sighed and shook her head, then moved off quickly in the right direction.

"Let's go."

In fairness, Bianca _wasn't_ bad company, certainly not as bad as Georgia had first feared when she had first asked to come along. She wasn't useless; she could cook well, she understood the land and she could look after her Pokémon and herself just fine.

If anything, Georgia felt a little bad for being surprised. And she _really _didn't like that_ feeling_.

_What's happened to me?_ She mused wryly. _'Couple of months ago I'd have just left her the first time she slowed us down. Now - this must be the twentieth time she's gotten distracted. How've I changed so much?_

She knew the answer to that too well. _Damn, Iris…_

Iris. The girl she'd hated, then tolerated, and then grown to respect. Grown to like, even, especially after the incident at Ferroseed Research… And her friends were nice, too. Not that she'd say that to their faces.

_She's all right, for a "dragon-master". Pity we didn't get to have a proper showdown after the Junior Cup was cancelled._

Practically the first thing Bianca had told Georgia after literally running into her (again) had been that Iris, Ash and Cilan had left the region for a little while, unsure as to when they would be back. Georgia had huffed about being kept out of the loop, but had accepted that the group had asked Bianca to spread the word to those they had met across Unova.

She realised that she only cared at all about not knowing until after Bianca because she considered Iris and the others to be her friends. It was a little annoying to admit that to herself, at first, given how she had felt about the dragon-master to be to begin with, but had no trouble with it now.

That went for Burgundy, Stephan, Trip and Luke, too. Even Bianca.

Bianca kept chatting as they walked; it was another annoying facet of her personality that Georgia had learned to tolerate. Or at least tune out, at times.

"No, we're not stopping at the mall, you can come back later!" Georgia had to drag the other girl past Shopping Mall Nine, desperate now to reach the city ahead.

"Okay, okay!"

Another ten minutes passed before Georgia could finally sigh in relief; they had reached the outskirts of Opelucid City.

"I've got some errands to run, but I'll meet you down at the Pokémon centre at five for dinner! Don't be late!" Bianca cried, tearing off through the streets.

Georgia adopted a thin smile as she watched her fellow trainer go, narrowly avoiding other pedestrians like a car swerving through traffic. She could be annoying, but Bianca _was_ sure fun to watch from a distance.

* * *

It wasn't like Bianca to be late.

Well, not this late, at least. She was never actually on time, per se, but reliably, fashionably late, like a train that you could time to always arrive two minutes after it was supposed to.

Five minutes max. Never _thirty-five._

Pokémon centres were always relatively large compared to other buildings in their areas, a necessity built upon the possibility of accommodating large numbers of trainers. Unova's were no exception, but it seemed unlikely that Bianca wouldn't have been able to spot Georgia's table even through the crowd.

Could she have forgotten? Unlikely. Bianca was scatter-brained, but not when it came to turning up to things arranged with friends. Especially not when if she arranged them.

Georgia had at first been confused, then angry, then a little concerned, at being stood up for so long. True worry had been starting to form by the time someone else to Bianca's place at the table. Someone else that Georgia knew.

"Long time, no see, Georgia."

"Trip." _At least we got each other's names right…_

"Knew" was about as far as she could go when it came to her experience with Ash's green-haired rival. They had never battled before, not even in the myriad of Battle Club tournaments that they had participated in alongside Ash and co.

She wondered what he was doing in Opelucid City, but supposed that he would be waiting for the Vertress Conference grounds to open up in the north-east; there was precious little else to do now that the Junior Cup had been cancelled. She would have Undella Town, personally, but…

"Is this seat free?"

"Go ahead."

He sat down opposite her and looked around, scanning the room.

"Were you looking for someone?"

"How could you tell?"

"I saw you looking around before I came over, it wasn't too hard to figure out. I'm pretty observant." He shrugged. She recalled the camera that he had wielded in the past; he probably had it stowed in his bag for now. "So who were you looking for?"

"Bianca. She was supposed to meet me here for lunch half an hour ago, but she never showed!" Georgia explained crossly, folding her arms. Trip shrugged.

"… Huh. I thought it might have been Iris. She was always complaining about how you were always one step ahead of her on the road."

"Oh, then you haven't heard?"

"About what?"

Georgia told him that Ash, Cilan and Iris had left the region and travelled to Kanto.

"But they'll be back for the conference?"

"That's what Bianca said."

"All right."

Trip didn't seem annoyed at learning this information second-hand, but his face was shaped in the same disdainful frown that he always wore, so it was hard to tell.

"You don't find that aggravating? They could have at least told us." Georgia said crossly.

"Meh."

The awkwardness in the situation was almost palpable.

What to say? They were friends by association with others, little more than that. Georgia wondered if this was how people who mutually knew Iris and the others always felt if they met.

The poor waitress who noticed them shortly after sitting without food in silence couldn't have known that, of coure.

"Hiya! Can I get anything for the happy couple?" She smiled, utterly oblivious. Trip sighed. Georgia was a little more livid.

_Ohhhh, this is going to be a long night._

* * *

An hour later and Georgia had become properly worried about her absent friend. She tried calling her Xtransceiver multiple times, but had no luck on the pickup.

Sure, Bianca could be a bit scatter-brained, but she'd never displayed this level of forgetfulness before.

The dragon-buster gave up waiting and decided to go look for her. Trip offered to help; when asked, he had shrugged. "Not like I've got anything better to do."

She wondered if he'd grown to admit to himself that Bianca was a friend in the same way she had. _Hell, if I can…_

So they set off to look for her. It didn't take them long to sweep the whole city; Opelucid was frequently described as a bastion of tradition in the face of the overwhelming modernity of the rest of Unova, and this had led to it being expanded upon less – and thus being generally smaller – than many of the other settlements scattered across the region.

They started off looking around the shops, which didn't take long. Georgia had guessed that Bianca would be found at a toy or gadget shop, but such inquiries turned up nothing – the owner of once particular enticing store selling both said that he had never seen anyone matching her description.

With that proving fruitless, they started to sweep the streets of the quiet residential suburbs, just in case she had managed to get herself completely lost, but again turned up empty.

It would have been impressive for her to have gotten lost, really; the city was no maze, planned simply in ordered streets with signs leading back to the start point like a light revealed the presence of the sun. Georgia didn't see how it could have been any more obvious.

"Maybe she went back in after we left?" Trip tried to keep a positive frame of mind up as they trudged back to the Pokémon centre and stood outside its inviting entrance. The sun was clearly beginning to go down now as the last shops finished shutting and people began to appear less on the streets; the presence of summer could only hold back the oncoming night for so long.

"Maybe…" Georgia muttered, turning to look inside the Pokémon centre. "I guess we should ask around inside like we have been out here and tell Nurse Joy that she's missing if no-one's seen her."

"Sounds good." He agreed, and they moved to go inside. The doors slid open and they passed a man in a grey overcoat wearing sunglasses, walking quickly, his face and movements matched in their focus. Georgia didn't recognise him, but she paused in the doorway anyway, deciding it best to ask everyone and not wanting a potential lead to get away. She motioned to Trip that she would talk to the man, and he carried on inside to speak to Nurse Joy.

"Hey, excuse me, have you seen-" She started.

"No, sorry." The man accelerated, looking uncomfortable, and she had a feeling that he would be gone into the shadows in mere moments.

"Wait, please!" She said desperately, and he lingered a moment longer. "I can't find a friend of mine and I was wondering if you might have seen her."

"I really doubt that, miss." He turned to go again.

"She's blonde, wears orange with a green hat, her name's Bianca-" Georgia hurried, but stopped mid-sentence when the man did a double take upon hearing her name.

"Bianca?" She noticed a shadow of recognition flash across his face.

"You know her?"

"Does she have an Emboar for a partner?" The man faced her now, and she nodded. "Can be a little excited at times?" Another nod.

"I'll say."

"Then yes, I know her."

"She was supposed to meet me at five here for dinner, but never showed."

"Maybe she was distracted by something?" The stranger offered, but Bianca shook her head.

"We've looked absolutely everywhere and haven't had any luck. Are you sure you haven't seen her recently?"

"Not since I met her. That was a few weeks ago, over in Mistralton City." He took his shades off and looked across the road, out towards the path leading to Route Nine. "I wonder…"

Trip chose this moment to make his reappearance.

"Nurse Joy said she hasn't seen anybody matching Bianca's description, but that she'll ask people to keep an eye…" He trailed off, staring at the man in the coat.

Georgia had heard from Iris that Trip had a side to him that he rarely displayed, acting at times almost like an overexcited child. She hadn't seen it herself before now, but watching him now she could understand what Iris had meant.

"You're-" Trip spluttered, and the man groaned. "You're-!"

"Yes, please shut up."

"Georgia, do you know who this is?!"

"… No?"

Trip inhaled for breath, intending to start a new sentence, but the man grabbed them both by the arm and pointed inside.

"Not in the open like this!" He muttered, and hurried them inside to a quiet table.

* * *

"Cameron? Who's Cameron?"

"He is! How can you not know who he is?" Trip whispered indignantly as they sat down. The man had told them to wait while he ordered them drinks.

"Because I don't, all right?" Georgia huffed, utterly stumped. Trip sighed.

"He was the champion of Unova before Alder came back! Do you pay attention at all to the news?"

"… Not really?"

"… Hopeless."

Georgia bit back as Cameron returned, holding drinks for all of them. The restaurant was nearly empty now, and they had been prompted to the area furthest from the bar.

Trip opened his mouth, buzzing excitedly, but Cameron held up a hand to stymie him.

"Yes, I am. But please don't shout it out. I can't afford the attention with the situation I'm in at the moment... A situation that might be tied to Bianca."

"You were walking around earlier, don't people recognise you if you were so important? That can't be helpful if you're meant to be sneaking around." Georgia pointed out, and Cameron chuckled.

"You'd be surprised how quickly people forget you if you give them half the chance. I was never really a "public" champion, anyway, that's how Lance and Alder have preferred to operate…"

"Too right." Trip muttered. "You've never given an interview to any magazines, barely ever appeared on TV…"

"Anyway, we digress…" The ex-champion took a sip, and then resumed. "On our mutual friend, Bianca; how did you come to know her?"

The two trainers looked at each other; it was a strange question. Trip answered first.

"We met on the first day of our journeys."

"We met through other people; a girl called Iris and two guys called Ash and Cilan."

Cameron nodded, seemingly expecting this answer.

"I had a feeling. I was much the same; I saw those three off to the airport having just met Bianca, then had a friendly battle with her before we parted ways. That was over two weeks ago. And you say she's gone missing in the last couple of hours."

They nodded.

"You seem like you know something that might help us?" Georgia pressed.

"What do you know about Team Plasma?"

"Never heard of them." Georgia admitted, and Trip groaned.

"You _really _don't ever watch the news…"

"Why should I? It's so boring!"

Trip glared at her and continued.

"They're a terrorist group, they attacked the Pokémon league nearly a month ago, that was when the new champion was crowned… Hilda, I think?"

Cameron nodded.

"Yes. Speaking of Hilda, she's currently travelling with Ash and a few of his other friends right now, in Hoenn… Strange how the paths of his friends seem to converge, almost as if we're being played in some huge game…"

"Uh, anyway, you were saying? Team Plasma?"

"Right. As is public knowledge, agents of the Pokémon league – including myself – and the International police have been clearing out Plasma hideouts for the past few weeks. However, there's quite a bit more that isn't public knowledge; I'm assuming I can trust your discretion based on the fact that you are friends with Ash?" He asked.

"Of course!" Trip said hurriedly, proud to be let in on a secret, and Georgia agreed, eager to hear what he had to say and what this had to do with Bianca.

"What isn't public knowledge is that Plasma has been disappearing off the map almost faster than we've been taking them down. We've ran into more abandoned bases than occupied ones. From what we can tell, my target tonight is their last base in Unova."

"All very interesting, but what does this have to do with Bianca?" She asked, wishing he'd get to the point.

"I'm getting to that. Something that Plasma has done frequently as we've tracked them – here and in Hoenn, where they have also had operations – is to take hostages, to kidnap people and Pokémon presumably as cover while they escape."

"Wouldn't that draw more attention to them?" Trip pointed out, ever the logical thinker.

"We know where they are anyway; it's only a matter of time before they get taken out. Their tactic has bought them time and enabled them to evacuate quite a number of their bases while we've been hesitant and wrong-footed."

It wasn't that surprising to hear that a terrorist group had been doing this, really. She didn't see how it was important, and was beginning to lose her patience.

"And this relates to Bianca… How, exactly?"

"Georgia!" Trip stared at her, exasperated.

"What?"

"Are you an idiot?"

"Hey! S-shut up!" She snapped back. Cameron stared at the two, eyebrows raised.

"Think about it!" He held his arms out, raising one at a time. "If there's one of these Team Plasma bases in the area, and they've been known to kidnap people, and Bianca's gone missing…"

His mocking, patronising tone made her blood boil – she had a feeling he was showing off for the ex-champion seated at the other end of the table – but then it clicked.

"Oh. _Oh_."

"That's right. She may have been kidnapped by Plasma." Cameron finished.

Georgia took a big gulp of her drink, while Trip sat stony-faced.

"So what can we do?"

"We?" Cameron rose from the table, having finished his beverage. "There is no "we". I'm going to go and stop them, and I'll rescue Bianca on the way if I find her. Simple as that."

"Woah there! We're not just going to sit back hoping that she'll turn up!" Georgia shot to her feet, colour coming quickly to her cheeks in indignation. "She's our friend and we have to help her!"

She suddenly realised that she'd been talking openly about Bianca as her friend throughout the entire conversation, but was too fired up to think further about it now. She still wouldn't admit it to Bianca, though.

"That would be… unnecessary."

"It can't hurt though, can it?" Trip put in. "There's strength in numbers."

"Well…" Cameron looked uncomfortable.

* * *

_Three Days earlier, Castelia City suburbs_

_He cursed himself for having missed it earlier. They had nearly cleaned out all of Plasma's strongholds in Unova, and one just turns up in the largest city in the region?_

_Burgh had received a tipoff earlier that day, and had notified the League immediately. They'd sent a rapid reaction force to deal with it._

_That happened to be Cameron and the eleven men with him._

_They filled up two unmarked vans, standard civilian models, purchased cheap and untraceable, with a specialised command truck following behind for anyone they managed to apprehend. Parker's squad normally managed to get a few._

_They were all dressed in black fatigues with no nametags, just rank slides on the left shoulder. They were all tired, having been called away from their first hours of leave in over a month, and morale wasn't particularly high._

_Not that Sergeant Parker would let any of them show it._

_Cameron was distinctly aware that he was in the awkward and common situation of being the least-experienced and yet highest-ranked person there. The man beside him was the one really running the show._

"_Good night for this, sir." Parker commented, looking out the rear window at the inky darkness. The men and women around them hadn't said a word, sitting still and silent with only the occasional twitching towards the Poké balls at their belts._

"_Pity we don't have the chopper." It had been useful in previous raids. Having Zekrom would have helped, too, but Hilda was off gallivanting around in Hoenn, so…_

"_We'll just have to hit 'em hard and fast, then, sir." Parker was ever the optimist, despite his twenty years of gruelling active service._

_Their radios crackled as the drivers up front reported in on the command net._

"_Party in two, ladies and gents! Let's show these terrorist scum how the league deals with trash!" Parker roared. The agents cheered back, and Cameron cheered with them; the adrenaline was starting to build._

"_You know the plan." Cameron added. "Work in pairs, push them back, capture any you can."_

"_Coming up to the estate now, second building on the left." The driver of the lead vehicle droned in. "Wire mesh gate ahead, accelerating to break it down."_

_There was a crash ahead as they pushed something aside, but the van proceeded unimpeded._

_Plasma was apparently holed up in an abandoned building on an industrial estate uncommon to the quiet Castelia suburban experience. How they had evaded justice here for so long was beyond Cameron._

_The vans ground to a halt, followed seconds later by the command truck. _

"_Let's go!" Parker shouted, roughly pushed the doors open as agents from the other vehicles did the same. "Safeguard Unova!" He screamed the battle cry as they rushed out, and Cameron went with them._

_Their transports' lights flickered on as they surged towards the unassuming building. If anything would have given away the element of surprise, it was the running engines._

_The agents started sending out their Pokémon; Herdier, Watchogs; Parker had a Stoutland. One or two even had Lampents and there was a lone Growlithe in the mix. Cameron called out Metagross and Volcarona and pointed the latter towards the locked door of the building's loading dock._

_One second filled with brilliant light later and their improvised entrance was clear._

_Resistance was immediate and strong, and any doubt that this was the right place was quickly eliminated. Dark- and poison-types duelled with normal- and fire-types as black-fatigued agents fought hand to hand with black-fatigued grunts. The only way to tell people apart was the beret and the insignia – or lack thereof._

_It was a lot easier, Cameron decided, when Plasma had worn white. __**But they weren't such a problem them… Or we just didn't know it.**_

_Ten minutes in and they had successfully cleared the loading bay and a few corridors, capturing several grunts and pushing the remainder back into several large rooms, where the cowards and fools had barricaded themselves behind metal boxes._

_The casualty reports and shouts of "man down!" had begun to pile up. When the time came to sweep the last room, only Cameron and Parker remained uninjured._

_After that room, Parker was wincing on an injured leg, a few tendons severed by a stray air cutter, and Cameron had been bundled the ground thrice by the last desperate Plasma operatives, saved by the intervention of three of his Pokémon._

_They had been successful, with eight grim-faced captives filling the command truck, and three terrified hostages rescued from the bowels of the forgotten factory… But with all of their brave agents injured in the process._

* * *

"It's better if you leave it to me, really. Last time we went for a full frontal assault, it was painful for everyone. I'm taking a subtler approach tonight." _We're not having a repeat of Castelia again._

"That doesn't matter, we're coming with you." Georgia growled.

"No, you're not." He turned to leave.

"Yes, we are! Tell him, Trip!"

The trainer from Nuvema Town looked unsure, his concern for Bianca warring with his respect for one of his idols. Georgia realised that she had to take matters into her own hands.

"If you don't let us come…" She called after the champion. "We'll just have to let everyone know that you're in town, and where you're going."

He stopped by the door.

"You wouldn't."

"You won't have to worry about it if you let us come with you…" She grinned sweetly.

Cameron turned on his heel and marched back to the table, catching her with a piercing gaze.

"This is not going to be safe, and it's not going to be a game. Either of you – hell, even I – could get seriously hurt doing this. These aren't nice people we're talking about here."

"She's our friend." Georgia replied coolly, and stood her ground.

Cameron held the stare for a few seconds longer before conceding and waving his hand dejectedly.

"All right, all right. You win. Let's hurry." He walked to the door and out again into the centre proper. Georgia and Trip exchanged a glance and followed him. Catching him up at the door, Georgia could have sworn she heard him muttering. "Cynthia's going to kill me for this…"

They proceeded at a brisk pace down the road out to route nine, diverging off the main route down a side road five minutes into the walk. Shortly after that, Cameron took them off the path, and he seemed to know where he was going.

There was very little light left by the time they made it into the treeline, and it was hard to see the roots and rough terrain.

Cameron stopped them after fifteen minutes an hour of trekking; it was now almost impossible to see him as he whispered, especially under the thick tree canopy.

"I spent all yesterday scouting out their position. This is where their patrols stop." He indicated just beyond their position. "Every half hour. Two minutes and the next one will arrive, stop and return to their base on a ten minute loop. We'll follow that patrol and sneak past them when they turn around."

"Then what?"

"We go inside, find Bianca and sabotage their base."

"That's it?"

"It doesn't need to be complicated to work. Now quiet, here comes the patrol."

Georgia bit back an angry retort and followed Cameron's gaze. Sure enough, a black-clothed guard walked out in front of their concealed position, yawning and stretching. They were clearly extremely bored, and took barely a cursory glance at their surroundings before turning around walking back the way they had come; Cameron motioned for the others to follow.

They moved carefully out of the guard's sight, which meant walking over roots and bushes that the guard had not needed to cross. Once, Georgia accidentally snapped a massive twig lying on the ground, and all three had been forced to duck back into cover as the guard had wheeled around. Despite that display of alertness, the poor sentry apparently decided that the noise must have been nothing, and had continued on as before.

Cameron made them aware as to when they had finally reached the Plasma base and directed them to move far out of the way so that the guard could pass unimpeded. She walked back on the route well-trodden on, even more bored than before, and they quietly slipped past them to a point just before the base.

"No need for guards outside when you've got security cameras linked to the base controls, which is why I've mapped out a blind spot if we just knock out that one camera for a short time." He informed them, indicating a well-hidden observation point across the small clearing.

"I can have Serperior use Frenzy Plant and obscure it." Trip offered.

"Do it, but dial it down."

Trip nodded, and whispered a command to Serperior as he sent it out. Remotely sending out the thorns, the grass-type erected a temporary barrier over the camera's lens.

"Run where I run!" Cameron urged, and set off with the others puffing to keep up.

They made it across to a small bush, which Cameron slipped through quickly. The others barely had hesitated as they dived into it, unexpectedly tumbling down a tunnel into the ground. It was a steep drop, and Georgia bit down on her arm to stop herself whooping as they accelerated. They crashed down into a safe landing; Cameron and Trip more gracefully than Georgia, who skidded painfully into a metal box. Trip recalled Serperior as they took stock of where they were, keeping low. They had emerged into a large hall filled with unpacked boxes and crates with two exit corridors leading outwards; it was mostly plain and unornamented. Three grunts stood chatting in the centre of the hall, observing Gurdurr dutifully lifting items down the centre corridor.

"This layout seems consistent with previous Plasma bases we've hit in this region that have been underground." Cameron told them. "Left lies their supplies and prisoners, so that's where we're going first. Right has critical systems, which is our secondary target. Centre is probably the teleport systems, so that's our final destination."

"Teleport sys-" Georgia began, but Cameron hissed at her to stay quiet as two of the grunts walked closer to their hiding spot while the other walked up the middle tunnel.

"No time!"

They could hear what the guards were saying as they got closer.

"I know these orders make no sense, but Lord Ghetsis has commanded it…"

"Which worries me the most. Come on, but a complete evacuation?"

"They've got us on the run, so we haven't got much choice…"

For a second, Georgia feared that they would lean over the boxes and spot the trio, but the moment passed and the grunts walked away again.

"Damn right we have you on the run." Cameron muttered. "A full evacuation, huh? That'll help us move undetected if this place is so empty, but we should make sure they don't want to come back either way. Let's go!"

* * *

Finding Bianca actually proved to be relatively uncomplicated. They took the short left tunnel, which turned at a corner into another small corridor with two foreboding metal doors and a guard on the latter.

"Lax security." Cameron commented as they peered around the corner.

"You think she's in one of those rooms?" Trip asked.

"Let's be sure." A flash of light later and Jellicent hovered among them. "Scout out those rooms for us, old friend." The Pokémon gave no sign of acknowledgement but floated towards the walls nonetheless, passing through one in a burst of intangibility. They didn't have too long to wait; it returned two minutes later out of the wall adjacent to them, scaring the life out of Trip in the process, but fortunately not causing him to shout.

"Did he find anything?" Georgia asked. Jellicent stretched a blue tentacle lazily towards the second door with a guard, and Cameron nodded.

"Something interesting in there, apparently. Maybe Bianca…"

"I'll deal with the guard then. Frillish!" Jellicent's prevolution appeared on the scene from one of Trip's Poké balls and greeted its elder with surprise. "Float through the walls and paralyse that guard with Thunder Wave!"

Frillish moved ahead, copying Jellicent's trick to get past the guard, then passed out of the wall again behind him and scraped the top of her head against his pack. He jolted upwards from his semi-awake stated, and then sank to the ground, his face etched in a rictus grin.

They hurried past as Trip returned Frillish, but the door required a key card.

"My turn!" Georgia proclaimed, and unleashed Vanilluxe. She commanded it to freeze the door's lock, and easily snapped it off once it did so.

"Maybe I was right to let you come along…" Cameron conceded, smiling.

"Only because we forced you to!" Georgia reminded him, pushing the door open. The room turned out to be a tiny cell, albeit well lit and with a sink and stone-hard looking bed. Sitting dejectedly on it was-

"Bianca!"

She looked unharmed, if a bit upset, but then she had only been gone for a few hours. Other than the dried tears clustered around her face, she looked the same as she had a few hours ago when Georgia had last seen her.

"Georgia, Trip, you found me!" She jumped up and tackle-hugged them to the floor before they had even properly crossed the doorway. Her voice was also as loud as Georgia remembered… "How did you find me? And it's you! Cameron, right? I remember you!" She looked up to see Cameron standing above them, looking impatient.

"We'll explain if you get off us!" Georgia snarled, muffled beneath two bodies.

"Sorry, sorry!"

"Are you all right?" Trip asked as they climbed up off the floor. "

"I'm fine, and no, they didn't! They left me with all my stuff, but they did keep telling me that they'd take my Pokémon soon. That was why I started crying. Who are they, anyway? I mean, who goes around kidnapping people, and-"

"We can explain later, now we need to move." Cameron pointed back the way we came. He looked a little alarmed at how loud Bianca was speaking.

"But I have so many questions, like-"

"How did they not gag you?" Georgia pushed her roughly towards the door, smiling amusedly. Bianca huffed but quieted down as they returned to the main hall.

The same two grunts from before remained there, their backs turned. The four made their way back to the way they had come in, sticking to the shadows.

"Now what? Are we getting out of here back up there?" Bianca asked, keeping her voice to what passed for a whisper and pointing to the slanting tunnel.

"We can't climb that!" Georgia looked mortified, and Trip shook his head.

"No, and no. We're not leaving yet, we need to sabotage this base down that tunnel-" He pointed right. "-Before heading down the central tunnel."

"Well, how are we going to do that?"

"We're going to damage the base's heating system; they won't be able to work down here once we do that. Then we damage the teleporters."

"Teleporters?" It was Bianca's turn to ask the question.

"Not now…" Cameron grumbled. "Anyway, we need a distraction. Like the remote detonation system I rigged up while you were having your little reunion. Should keep 'em busy."

"What?"

"Huh?"

He smirked, pressing a button on a small device. A small explosion sounded off in the distance, still large enough to cause them to jump. And the guards certainly noticed – they scurried off down the left corridor to check the source of the noise.

"You could've told us!" Georgia spat indignantly, but Cameron was already moving down the right corridor, and the others had no choice but to follow in his wake.

By the time they caught up, Cameron had sent out Metagross and breached the door into a larger space filled with wheel- and piston-covered machinery

"Meteor Mash!" He commanded over and over again, and Metagross had soon ripped great tears into the important technology. Sirens embedded in the walls began to blare as the damage racked up.

"Nice…" Trip whistled.

"That's enough, cheers mate!" Cameron called, returning the bulky Pokémon to its ball.

He led the way back down the corridor, where it became apparent that the wailing sirens had spread across the base.

* * *

The grunts heaved as they hefted the prone form of the prison guard along the central corridor to the teleporters. The sirens meant that something was wrong with the base's temperature system, and that effectively wrote the base off for good.

That hadn't been in the evacuation orders. In fact, Ghetsis had specified the need to keep them for the possibility of return in the future.

He wouldn't be happy at all.

The teleporters were limited to one departure every five seconds, so they pushed the injured man through the glowing green light first. Next went the male grunt, pushed forward by the female on the basis of her possessing seniority by a slim three months.

She waited two, three, four seconds, expecting the cycling red light to return to green any second.

It never came.

Instead, the console was destroyed in a burst of flame from the way the grunts had come from. Looking back, coughing in shock and surprise, she caught sight of four humanoid figures through hazy eyes, and one rotund, pig-like Pokémon.

"No-one kidnaps me and gets away with it!" One of the figures yelled, and the shape of her hat and skirt revealed her to be the prisoner that they had been keeping only minutes before.

Panicking, the grunt slipped her hand down to her waist and unclipped a smoke bomb, which she hurled at the group and began ambling to the far door – the emergency exit.

The bomb burst just as she reached the door; it was a cheap trick and she knew it wouldn't last long, but hoped it would provide enough of a diversion for her to get away.

It hurt to climb the ladder inside, but she pushed through the pain and ascended the iron rungs one at a time. She'd rather face Ghetsis than the league, anyway.

She had to get away. She could ditch her incriminating clothes in Opelucid City where the tunnel came out and escape. She had to get away. She looked down and could see them at the bottom, smiling slightly when she realised the extent of her head start.

No time to be complacent though. She had to get away. She just needed to climb a few more steps and she'd be free. She just had to get away…

Suddenly the grunt was at the top, gasping for hair. The room was dark and small; it was essentially a tiny closet in a flat on the outskirts of Opelucid's limited shopping area. She took a few deep breaths before reaching for the door, hearing her pursuers on the ladder below. She tossed her beret back down the hole, hoping it might hit one of them on the way down, then burst through the closet door, following well-rehearsed drills of emergency escape…

None of which involved being confronted by a burly, unsmiling man dressed in unmarked black, a Stoutland at his side.

"W-who?" She spluttered.

"No escape, Plasma." He thundered, and she slumped to the floor.

* * *

Sometime later, Georgia was slightly peeved to learn that they could have simply climbed down a ladder in the place they had originated in to reach their intended destination.

"You knew they had another exit in Opelucid and yet we walked all the way through that forest?" She yelled incredulously. They had all returned to the Pokémon centre to get Bianca some food, while Sergeant Parker escorted the captive grunt into league custody. The centre was now completely empty, Nurse Joy aside, which suited them immensely.

"If we had gone straight down there we would have entered a pitched battle, which I wanted to avoid. Instead, I had Sarnt Parker wait up here to catch anyone who tried to escape the only way they could." Cameron replied.

"It was the best tactical decision." Trip admitted.

"Don't take his side!" Georgia rounded on him. "Aaargh! Idiots!"

"Thanks again for rescuing me, guys. And for the food. This is delicious!" Bianca had her Pokémon out to refuel, too, and they echoed her approval.

"Hope so, because you're paying for it." Georgia snarked.

"I'm fresh out of cash." Trip lied through his teeth.

"Aww, but, I-"

"They're teasing you." Cameron told her. "Centres offer free meals, subsidised by the league."

"Oh, right!"

"Duh…" _Hopeless… But she's our friend._ And Georgia was now sure that Trip agreed.

They chatted for a little while longer before Cameron announced his departure; he needed to help Parker with their captive, and then get some much needed sleep.

"Before you go, let's swap numbers!" Bianca suddenly declared. "You might need our help in the future!"

"Why would he need your help, you spent most of tonight locked up!"

"Aww, Georgia, why are you so mean to me?"

"Shut up!" But her subsequent smirk was one of amusement, not malice.

Cameron took their numbers.

"You've earned my respect tonight, all of you. That might have been Plasma's last base in Unova, but it can never hurt to be able to contact people that you can rely on. Ash has good taste in friends." With that, he was gone into the night.

"Iris was right; you are such a fan boy around Champions!" Georgia burst out laughing at Trip as soon as Cameron was out of earshot. Ash's rival blushed bright crimson.

The banter – most of it from Georgia – lasted long into the night.

* * *

Far away in one way, and yet in others not at all, Ghetsis learned of the Opelucid base's destruction.

"I'm sorry, my lord. We have failed." The grunt prostrated himself as was custom after a failure in front of the leader of Team Plasma.

His guards expected him to erupt at the man; he could see it on their half-concealed faces. He was half tempted to, in fact.

But that would never do.

"Leave us. Return to your brothers." He said instead. The grunt bowed and all but sprinted from the room.

_The loss of Hoenn earlier today was a concern. It happened too soon, far earlier than we had predicted._

_But Unova…_

_Unova was right on time. The league has swept our bases as we had expected, and they no doubt expect that their task is done._

_And they are right. As far as most of our grunts know, that was our last base in Unova._

_And to a certain extent, it was. It was our last base in central Unova, and the south was cleared out days ago._

_But the frozen north, on the other hand…_

Ghetsis grinned.

* * *

_Neurok spies carry devices that let them look a few moments into the future, giving them an almost insurmountable advantage._

** - Infiltration Lens, Scars of Mirrodin**


	22. Travel

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

We're back in Kanto with Brock, Cilan, Dawn and Iris today. It's been a while since we were last with them, but to recap, they arrived in Saffron City after a trip across northern Kanto, but were lured into a trap by the announcer from the Tag Battle Tournament in chapters 10 and 11, who turned out to be working for Team Rocket. They escaped, but Butch and Cassidy stole their Pokémon, leaving them to battle with just Axew and Piplup. Both evolved in the fight, leaving Fraxure (and Iris) jubilant and Prinplup (and Dawn) distraught.

Starting from this chapter, I'm going to start varying chapter lengths a little more, and reduce the minimum chapter length I set myself for regular chapters to 5000 words, down from 6000 words. That doesn't mean that most chapters won't continue to be written around that mark, but just that I will have the flexibility to make chapters shorter where I think the story would benefit from ending earlier; perhaps on one of my favoured cliff-hangers, for instance, as opposed to switching to waffle to make up the word count.

On reviews; thanks for reviewing Sprinter and Agent! I fixed that typo a day after you reviewed, I guess that's what happens when I leave finishing off a chapter to the early hours of the morning.

To the guest - who I'm assuming is once again Blooms – and to J.F.C, thanks!

To Eclipse, thanks also! I don't intend to use Bianca and Georgia as regular additions to the already-massive cast but they were useful to show Plasma's activities in another region, as well as address Cameron's work alluded to before with Hilda and ultimately include three of my favourite rivals from this season. Sorry if it wasn't clear; the Stoutland belonged to Sergeant Parker, a one-shot character of the day I intend to use only for that chapter. Finally, I can't say I have any plans for Hilbert at the moment; Hilda's enough to contend with, and I'm a bigger fan of her design than of Brendan.

Chronologically, this chapter begins by following on from chapter 16, but will quickly shift to the day after (you'll see what I mean).

* * *

**(Brock, Cilan, Dawn and Iris)**

In the end, Iris had to be dragged up to one of the Pokémon centre's bedrooms. Try as he might, Cilan could not calm her down, and pulled her and her newly-evolved favourite dragon-type upstairs to avoid disturbing Dawn and Prinplup.

It was a little too late for that, really.

Brock had stuck around for a little while, hoping to be able to help in any way he could; he knew its previous form had meant to the water-type, and to see it like this now tugged at his heartstrings in a way that was more than uncomfortable.

He couldn't imagine how Dawn was feeling.

She was excellent, but she had a feeling that it wouldn't be enough. Her arms never left the not-so-small-anymore Penguin Pokémon as it bawled out tear after tear, giving it enough room to shake gently as it cried without jerking all the way out of her embrace.

An hour passed, then another, before she gently led her starter up to a private room. People coming and going had long since ceased stopping and staring.

Every time it seemed like the tears would stop, Prinplup burst back into action again with renewed vigour. Dawn wondered how long it would take for it to even begin to calm down, and worried that it would be affected in the long term by such – for it, at least – a traumatic event.

She wondered if it would eventually pass out from exhaustion.

Only a few doors down, Iris had managed to buy or appropriate enough money to purchase all the treats that Fraxure could eat – and eat it could, its appetite seemingly doubled by its evolution.

Pokémon centres offered subsidised three-meals a day for trainers and Pokémon, but that obviously did not include treats. Brock footed the bill after Iris begged incessantly.

The two former gym leaders in the group sat and watched the spectacle of Iris and her Pokémon growing increasingly hyper on sugar-filled snacks.

"It's strange that this never happened before…" Cilan mused. "The Everstone being knocked free." He explained upon seeing Brock's blank expression.

Brock nodded.

"Who knows how Prinplup's going to react after it stops crying? That's what worries me the most."

"I've never seen a Pokémon so reluctant to evolve in all my time as a Pokémon connoisseur." Cilan commented. Brock shrugged, folding his arms.

"It happens." He replied. "Team Rocket's Meowth could have evolved years ago, but it hates its evolved form and refuses to do so. And the Bulbasaur that belongs to Ash back at Oak's lab stopped itself from evolving early on in our journey through Kanto."

"Was Piplup the same? Did it hate the thought of being a Prinplup?"

"Maybe, but I'm not sure. We ran into a few Prinplup in Sinnoh and it didn't get on too badly with them. But I think it comes down more to the fact that it believes it can only be useful to Dawn as a Piplup – that Dawn wouldn't like it anymore if it evolved."

"That's preposterous… It can't honestly have believed that…"

"Let's hope not, but there's something else." Brock shifted slightly.

"Oh?"

"Last time something like this happened, when Piplup was given the Everstone by one of the Sinnoh's in Nurse Joy, it didn't want to evolve because of it's happiest memory – the day it met Dawn. What if Prinplup's concept of happiness is tied to what it was as a Piplup?"

"Let's hope not." Cilan grimly echoed.

Hours later, Prinplup finally managed to cry itself to sleep. Dawn, pushed beyond her physical and emotional limits that day, followed shortly thereafter. None of the others matched them that night; Brock and Cilan had yelled at Iris through the wall of a separate room to go to bed after the noise she was waking kept them up far too early in the morning of the next day.

The rain continued well into the night.

* * *

"Assassin Leader Actual standing by for further orders. Assassins Two, Three and Four surrounding the Pokémon centre, over."

The shadowy figure was perched on a rooftop, looking down on the haven his team's targets were taking shelter in. His loyal Crobat rested by his side, and he could just make out – only because he was used to their presence, mind – the placement of some of his competent team across the sides of the road.

Being a field leader of one of Team Rocket's most feted hit squads had its perks.

The radio crackled as the response came through.

"Assassin Leader, this is Boss One, confirm transmission, over."

"Confirmed, send, over."

"What is the target's status, over?"

"All inside the Pokémon centre, ma'am. Over."

"Orders are to avoid a public scene, Assassin Leader. Continue to pursue until you have your opening. Over."

"Understood, ma'am. Out."

A final crackle.

He lifted a laser pen out of his pocket and flashed it once, twice, three times to one of his team. Five seconds later they repeated the signal.

He sat back. Now all they had to do was watch and wait.

Good thing waiting was their speciality.

* * *

Dawn woke the next morning to find Prinplup gone and the door to her room ajar. Worried, but not panicking, she groggily checked the room before exiting to track him down. She didn't bother to have a shower, brush her hair, or even change out of the pyjamas she had slipped into the night before as she was drifting off. She picked up her belt with her Pokémon on it and walked out the door.

Finding Prinplup was much more important.

Rubbing her eyes and pushing her messy blue hair out of her face, she determined quickly that he had not slipped into any of the other rooms – based on their secured doors – and crept out into the main body of the centre, not wanting to wake the other guests.

It was still early in the morning, after all. The sun had only an hour before risen above the horizon and started to bring warmth to the realm.

The coordinator said good morning to Nurse Joy and asked if she had seen a Prinplup – she almost said Piplup, but caught herself – pass through that morning. Joy said no, but said she had only been at her station for fifteen minutes; perhaps it had been in earlier?

Dawn thanked Joy and hurried away before she could ask too many questions. She exited the centre through the automatic door and peered around, trying to locate Prinplup in the dim early morning sun.

She didn't have to look far. Turning left out of the centre, she found her starter in a nearby play area, staring into a clear pool.

Staring at its reflection in the water.

She held her tongue against the urge to call out and advanced slowly, but not stealthily. Prinplup was too engrossed to notice either way. Saffron City was effectively an enclosed space, with tall skyscrapers surrounding each side of the Pokémon centre. It was a little early for the commuter rush, so they had some privacy.

She made it all the way up to Prinplup before realising that it hadn't just failed to notice her; it was actively trying to ignore her, turning to face away from her whenever she attempted to look it in the eye. It refused to align its gaze with hers.

Yesterday's tears had dried across its face around its beak, and now all it wore was a grim, sad expression matching sorrowful blue eyes.

She grew a little frustrated, but now was not the time for reproachful words. She felt at her waist for a Poké ball, pulled it loose and tossed it.

"Togekiss!"

She hoped that the Jubilee Pokémon would be able to calm Prinplup with its natural empathy.

Togekiss didn't need to be told what the problem was; it worked it out fast enough the second it looked around and spotted the water-type by the pond, appearing differently from how it normally did. Togekiss fluttered down to Prinplup's side and began muttering to it in an extremely low voice, paying no attention to Dawn, not that the co-ordinator minded. All that mattered was Prinplup's mental state.

She withdrew a little further to watch the Jubilee Pokémon work its magic. It was ten minutes before it beckoned Dawn over.

Prinplup had washed away the dried tears while Dawn had approached, and didn't seem to be about to cry again, but simply stared up at her with wide, sad eyes.

"Look, Prinplup…" She began, sitting down, careful not to lose eye contact while she had it. She tried to ignore the water-type's cringe at the sound of its own, new name. The sound of distant industry and the hustle and bustle of the city around them seemed to fade as Dawn concentrated on saying the right words. "I know you didn't want to evolve, and I didn't want you to evolve because I knew you didn't want to. But that's it. I'm not going to hate you now that you have; I won't think any less of you, you'll still be my number one…"

Togekiss chimed in with something else in an encouraging tone.

"Prin…" Prinplup squeaked. Dawn reached down and pulled it into a hug, and Togekiss joined in.

"Now that you have, we have to move on. We can't stay sad forever – you can't stay sad forever. I'm sorry, Prinplup, I know how much staying the same meant to you. But we'll make it through this."

"Plup…" Another squeak, and this one sounded resigned. It broke eye contact and stared at the ground.

Looking again at her Pokémon, she didn't think it was likely that he would burst into tears again, but was

Staying as Piplup had meant so very much to the water-type. It was all very well to think that he could just "man up", accept it and get over it. No. The road to recovery could take a very long time.

She realised it meant that she could no longer carry the Penguin Pokémon everywhere in her arms.

Perhaps reading her thoughts, Prinplup pushed itself up, startling Dawn. It reached over and sadly tapped the middle of the last ball in the line on her belt, long unused. Red light burst out of it and returned the water-type to a place that it had not seen the inside of for a very long time.

Dawn sat still for a moment and stared down at the ball herself before Togekiss slipped a comforting wing over her shoulder. She felt like crying now that her starter couldn't see her, but held on to Togekiss and held it in, drawing strength from the serenity of the garden.

Prinplup clearly wanted to be alone for a while, and she decided to let it be. Hopefully solitude would help it heal.

_Hopefully…_

* * *

They stood ready to leave a couple of hours later, after everyone had woken up, gotten themselves ready and had a full – subsidised – breakfast.

Brock and Cilan noted Prinplup's absence from the table with grim looks, while Dawn sat in contemplative silence. Iris had finally calmed down enough from being excited over Fraxure to administer to herself and come down to join them.

Brock had pulled Dawn aside before they entered the restaurant to speak to her privately.

"We can wait a day before going on to Johto if you want." He had told her. "We don't mind waiting if you want to give Prinplup some time."

"No. It's all right, really." She had replied. "I'm not ruining this holiday when a bit of travel might be just what Prinplup needs. Take its mind off things."

"Do you think that'll work?"

"Let's hope so."

Another thing that they had to deal with before departing the centre was the issue of Fraxure and its trainer. Cilan pointed out that it would be hard for Fraxure to remain outside of its Poké ball now that it was no longer an Axew, and suggested that she start recalling it more often to get it used to the experience.

Iris refused this suggestion. Strenuously.

She insisted that Fraxure would be fine to remain outside of its ball just as it had before, and said that she reckoned that she could even pick it up and carry around as she normally did.

The scene ultimately culminated with her stuck under a rather bemused and confused Fraxure, having attempted and failed to lift up its weight.

She still refused to recall it, though.

It was just after ten o'clock when they finally bid farewell to Nurse Joy and began to pick their way through the maze of skyscrapers and tall buildings that was Saffron city.

Cilan's excitement at finally seeing the Magnet Train up close and in real life and finally reached expression point, and he found himself unable to stop talking about it as they threaded their way through the streets.

Dawn kept fiddling with her belt and Prinplup's Poké ball, unable to keep looking ahead, which became something of a problem when they reached the main road and the hustle and bustle of the city proper became apparent. Before that they had passed the Sylph Co. again, this time closed to the public for a proper day's work. They stopped by a few shops here and there to pick up snacks for the journey and any souvenirs and nick-nacks that caught their fancy.

They had no need to worry about saving money for tickets or the like; the Gold Pass that Lance had given them in Pallet Town had them covered. Also, as it turned out – as they had realised the day before, gym leaders with official passes and any entourages travelling with them had free, first class travel on such public transport, on displaying their identification. Another of Lance's policies, in fact.

They reached the station after a half hour's walk, delayed by distractions and diversions as they had been. Passing the turnstiles had been a bit of an experience, with the put-upon assistant politely requesting that Iris recall Fraxure, who was a little too big – or at least wide - to fit through the narrow barrier, which of course led to Iris blowing up at him. Ten minutes later Brock and Cilan finally managed to drag Iris away from the bewildered man, Fraxure in their wake, with Dawn apologising profusely to him as she followed them out onto the platform.

Only one train ran on the Magnet Train line, and there was only one track for it to run on. Both ends of the train had controls, so all the driver had to do at the end of each leg of the journey was to walk to the other end of the train. This meant that everyone boarded – and debarked – on the same platform, and so a gating system had been implemented to prevent those embarking from stampeding onto the train and causing havoc.

Being unaware of the times – and being as delayed as they had been – they found that they had just missed one train, and so had to wait for it to go from Kanto to Johto and return. It wasn't a long wait, admittedly; shaped like a bullet to streamline it and limit air resistance, and equipped with state of the art engines and other essential technology, the Magnet Train could make the extensive journey between Saffron City and Goldenrod City in impressive time, completing one leg in just over twenty minutes.

Still, this was nearly forty minutes that they had to wait with Iris complaining all the time. At least she had Fraxure to play with.

When the train finally pulled in to the station Cilan immediately began snapping photos and was at the front of the queue to pass the barriers, eager to touch the train and examine it properly. He rattled off a number of facts and figures, as well as spouting off something about the flavour of the train in full blown lecture mode that the others paid very little attention to, but they ultimately managed to get him on the train before it set off.

* * *

Watching them from above, however…

"Targets are on the train, boss. Looks like we won't find it hard to keep track of them."

"Risks collateral, though, and we don't want the attention."

"Not if they find an empty carriage."

"Either way, Assassin Team, get your civilian disguises on and board that train. Four minutes to departure. Now is our chance."

The Team Rocket hit squad changed fast; it could be surprising how such simple administration was sometimes so essential.

All were changed in less than two and a half minutes. They emerged from their hiding spots scattered across the station to jump into the queue, and managed to be the last to board the train before its doors closed and locked with a mechanical finality.

"RoE are capture and contain. Priority target is the Pewter gym leader."

Now all they had to do was secure their targets.

They wouldn't fail like those idiot field agents always did.

* * *

The carriages of the Magnet Train varied in quality from absolutely magnificent to bog-standard commuter fare. They were fortunate that Brock's pass entitled them to the former band of quality, and they walked all the way up to the front of the train.

"Wow, I've never travelled first class before!" Dawn gaped, eyes wide, as they passed dining cars, compartmental accommodation and even a hall of bedrooms. All of the furniture in this part of the train was plush red velvet, polished wood or metal and opulently gilded with gold leaf. The others chorused their agreement.

"I've never travelled on the Magnet Train before, never felt the need." Brock said. "I might have to start doing so more often if I can do it for free…"

The carriage they eventually picked was large, wide and spacious, with not much else filling the interior other than a few chairs, a table and a selection of fresh fruit adorning it. Iris plopped herself down on one of the chairs with a contented sigh, grabbing a few pieces of fruit and alternating between tossing them into Fraxure's gaping maw and taking bites for herself.

"This… This is the life."

"Now we just have to sit back and relax until the train gets to Goldenrod." Brock pointed out as the others fell back into the chairs. Even though it was still just about morning, for Dawn, at least, it had felt like a very long day.

They all felt the train begin to move, a gentle rattle offset by the train's engineering, the hum of the engine practically cancelled out by the padded room.

One of the train staff, head down, eyes averted, entered from the room beyond and busied themselves with straightening china ornaments and other objects on the shelves on the walls.

"I guess we should plan where we're off to next, and what we should do when we get there." Cilan suggested. "When we get to Johto, I mean."

"Sounds good. Any suggestions?"

"I'd like to visit Kurt in Azalea Town, and learn a little about Poké balls made from apricorns." Cilan offered. "Did you know that I'm a Poké ball connoisseur too?"

"No, but I'm really not surprised." Iris muttered as Dawn shook her head. "Well, I'd like to see Blackthorn City! I'd love to meet Claire! Who knows how many different kinds of well-trained dragon-types she has…"

"Dawn? Any thoughts?"

"Uh, me?" The co-ordinator blinked, briefly flustered. "Well, I don't know the region at all, so I'll be happy with what you guys want to do. I heard from May that they've got contests in Johto. Maybe we could check one of those out, even if I'm not registered?"

"I don't see why not, we'll look into it when we get there. We've got a start, at least. Let's head south to Azalea Town first as it is the closest place, then we can head north up to Blackthorn City and hike across a few mountains." Brock said, pointing out the route on Cilan's tablet based map.

"Through a forest? Spooky!"

Another two attendants entered the room from the rear carriage and set to work examining the room for any problems that would require maintenance. Brock watched them curiously. It seemed like an unusual job to be doing in the middle of the day, but he supposed that the operators – and those who regularly travelled first class - had high standards.

"They really need to start replacing some of the stock on the Battle Subway with a few of these…" Cilan was muttering intently, glancing around at the finery and then looking out the window as thick Kanto forests sped by; they had cleared Celadon City and were now approaching the water's edge over which they would pass into the east of the region and then on through the mountain ridge to the western territories.

A fourth member of staff entered the coach.

Brock suddenly found it very odd that they were the only ones in the social car, even in first class, on such a packed train.

"Ooh, we just went over the water!" Dawn noticed.

He suddenly also found it very odd that there were so many staff in the carriage who didn't really seem to be doing anything on a train prized for its high quality of service.

He looked up in time to see that the group had been surrounded in a tight square by the four staff members, who had all produced dark sunglasses to cover to cover the eyes above their hawkish features. One right behind him…

"What are you doing?" He cried, and his tone snapped the others to alert. A moment later, a sharp blow across the back of his head and the world slid into darkness.

Brock's hasty warning had bought the group the chance to react. They sprung upwards out of their seats and together, Fraxure forming the form member of the inner square with Brock slumped on the floor. The hostile staff jumped back to reassess the situation now that they had lost the element of surprise.

"What the hell did you do?" Iris screamed.

No communication seemed to occur between their enemies, but they acted as one, withdrawing Poké balls with lightning speed and tossing them into the air. An Alakazam, a Crobat, a Weezing and a Magnezone burst into the carriage, filling the empty space behind their trainers.

"Who the hell are you?" Iris demanded, but Cilan shook her shoulder.

"No time for that now, Iris! We need to defend ourselves! Crustle, go!"

Dawn's hand slipped to her belt, feeling for Prinplup's Poké ball… Then passing it. She didn't want to have the distraught Pokémon fighting yet…

"Quilava, let's go!"

"Three vs four isn't very fair! Dragonite, come on out!"

The three other Pokémon joined Fraxure in the increasingly confined space. Crustle cracked its pincers, Quilava flared up and Dragonite snorted, noting with a sweep of its eyes that Axew had evolved into Fraxure.

Still more silence from their adversaries, who directed their Pokémon to attack with sweeping motions of their hands. Alakazam, Magnezone and Weezing charged up various energy attacks, while Crobat jinked into the midst of the opposing Pokémon.

"Everyone, scatter!" Cilan yelled, dragging Brock into cover, Dawn and Iris following them behind the hastily overturned table. Fruit flew everywhere. Dragonite flittered up; Fraxure leapt to the left, Quilava scurried to the right. Crustle retreated into its boulder shell as the attacks hit home, weathering the storm.

"ThunderPunch! Dragon Rage!" Iris cried as her Pokémon came into range of Crobat and Weezing. Weezing took Fraxure's hit, but hardly seemed affected. Dragonite surged at Crobat, fists crackling with electricity, but the poison/flying dual-type was more than agile enough to see the oncoming danger and dodge out of the way, catching Dragonite off balance. It then dived back in to smack Dragonite with a Wing Attack, removing Multiscale in the process.

"Flame Wheel!" Dawn commanded and Quilava obeyed, rushing towards the slower Alakazam. It stared contemptuously at the rolling attacker, and lifted the fire-type up with a Psychic before slamming it back into the ground multiple times.

"Give Quilava a hand, Crustle! Rock Wrecker!" Crustle tore off a chunk of rock from its shell and tossed it at Alakazam, who was more than quick enough to avoid the large projectile, albeit breaking the concentration required for Psychic and freeing Quilava.

In the process, Crustle left itself open for a reprisal Energy Ball, followed by a Flash Cannon from Magnezone. It hung on, but only just barely.

The three trainers left conscious were off-guard, still surprised and unfocused. Their attackers pressed their advantage, unleashing volley after volley of attacks that knocked out all but Dragonite. Iris rushed to recall Fraxure to its ball, desperate to shield it from the battle.

They rushed to send out more Pokémon – but not all at once, learning the lessons of their last random encounter – while Dragonite desperately shot around the car with ExtremeSpeed to avoid the barrage. Inevitably, some attacks hit home.

The inside of the carriage had been utterly wrecked by the conflict, the walls charred and looking increasingly unstable. They passed through tunnels as they proceeded across the mountain ranges into Johto.

Mamoswine immediately made its presence known in the battle with a rushing charge, which only resulted in it being immediately targeted and brought down by enemy firepower, but slowly the tide began to turn to Cilan, Dawn and Iris' favour. Excadrill and Togekiss fought together to take down Alakazam, the latter disrupting it to allow the former to get in close. Dragonite finally managed to catch Crobat with a backhand ThunderPunch and brought it down. Jigglypuff sang Magnezone and Weezing to sleep, allowing the others to pick them off soon after.

That part of the battle lasted fifteen minutes.

The Pokémon stood as a triumphant wall, shielding their trainers from the mysterious adversaries. Smirking, the "staff" reached for their second Poké balls. Cilan, Dawn and Iris braced for the worst, peeking over their improvised barricade.

The train jerked to a halt. The faint sound of the engine ceased completely.

They had arrived at Goldenrod City.

Their enemies shared a glance. They nodded; the only hint of communication between them the entire fight. One unclipped a smoke bomb and tossed it down.

By the time the smoke had cleared, they were gone, an open window the only evidence of their escape.

The group sat in shock for a moment.

"Iris, are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"Dawn?"

"No need to worry."

Brock stirred. He sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ughhh… what… what happened?" He looked around, noticing the damage to the carriage. "Did we… win?"

* * *

Explaining the damage to the railway staff had been difficult, but mentioning Lance's name helped wonders in getting them off the hook. They managed to slip away after ten minutes of apologies and promises to have the champion get in touch with the operators.

Then they all but ran to the Pokémon centre – Brock remembered the way - to get their Pokémon healed, rushing past sights that in other circumstances they probably would have liked to have seen. Iris was particularly concerned about Fraxure, and let it out of its ball as soon as possible.

They sat down for a drink once all was said and done, and let out a collective breath of relief.

"What the hell was that all about?" Iris got in first, indignant as she was. With all that they had needed to explain or hurry with, they had had a long time to wait to actually discuss what had happened.

"Who were they?"

"Why us?"

"On the train, as well, such a public place…"

"Well, given what happened yesterday, even if they weren't wearing uniforms…" Brock started, still rubbing his head. "Maybe it was Team Rocket, come to finish the job?"

"I've never seen Team Rocket act so coordinated." Cilan commented.

"It's the only lead we've got." Iris put in. "Who else would go after us like that?"

"Well, what should we do?" Dawn fiddled with Prinplup's Poké ball as she spoke. "Should we report it?"

"Maybe, but not to the police. I mean, we have Lance's number." Brock reminded them, pulling out his Poké gear. "We could go straight to him."

The others nodded.

"Let's do it." Cilan agreed.

Brock started dialling.

* * *

_Visiting a shrine at the start of a journey makes the traveller far more likely to finish it. _

**Travel Preparations, Innistrad**


End file.
